episode_0032

000

Iona, having recalled everything, checked her physical condition.

Fortunately, she had confidence in her body’s strength compared to others.

The injuries remaining on her body were only bruises, with no bleeding or fractures.

“…That tree branch…. From where.”

As Iona got up, she approached Rubera, who had collapsed nearby.

Blood was flowing from her head, and she was using her entire body to protect the demonic sword, determined not to have it taken away at any cost.

Iona’s gaze momentarily turned to the demonic sword.

The form of the tree branch that had pulled them in was nowhere to be seen, and there was no sign of any monsters nearby.

As if drawn by something, she reached out her hand towards the demonic sword.

“… Ugh…!”

At the same time, Rubera flinched and opened her eyes.

Iona quickly retracted her hand and checked on Rubera’s condition.

“Where is this…. Where’s the young master….”

Rubera muttered, as if she hadn’t fully grasped the situation.

Iona hesitated for a moment before placing her hand on her head.

Then, gently emitting magical power, she used a healing spell.

Gradually, Rubera’s wounds began to disappear.

“Kugh…. You are…. Iona Chevalier….”

“Yes. I knew you recognized me.”

Rubera frowned as she regained her sight and identified the person who was healing her.

The people from the royal palace who were trying to investigate Marquis Hughes.

In other words, the master’s enemies.

She had suspected it was her when she felt a strange presence when traveling with Eustace.

“Why…. are you here.”

Rubera tried to get up as if to grasp the situation, but it seemed that her head wasn’t the only place she was injured.

She had to fix various parts of her body, including a fractured leg, in order to move properly.

“Well, I also woke up to find you next to me. Were you also pulled in by a tree branch like me?”

Iona spoke as if making a joke, but Rubera frowned and nodded.

“What about the others?”

“There aren’t any. The fool…. No, your master ran away right away with the other adventurers.”

“… It’s a relief that he has that much judgment.”

Rubera sighed in relief.

Iona felt resentful that Eustace had run away as opposed to her own pursuer, Crayon, but.

The person involved seemed to think it was fortunate that the person they had to protect didn’t throw themselves into unnecessary danger.

The two remained silent for a while, healing their entire bodies.

Eventually, Rubera, who was able to move without problems, got up and returned her demonic sword to her waist.

“Just now…. Weren’t you going to touch the demonic sword?”

“Huh? That… No. Was I…?”

Iona awkwardly averted her gaze, feigning ignorance.

Rubera looked at Iona like that and turned her head again.

“… … Since you cast a healing spell, I won’t ask any further about that.”

At those words, Iona let out a sigh of relief.

Now, what was important wasn’t Marquis Hughes or.

Stories related to Eustace, but.

“…Is this an uncharted territory? This place.”

“Yes. It seems so.”

Both of them frowned and looked around.

Certainly, although they had fallen from a high place, sunlight was coming in properly, and there was no sense of discomfort in the surrounding plants.

But. A feeling that somehow constricted one side of their chest.

Iona surveyed the surroundings for any signs of life with an uneasy feeling, but she still didn’t sense the presence of any monsters.

“Is there a way to get up? You used a healing spell, so what about a flight spell?”

“…I’m sorry, but I don’t have that kind of magic. Asking me means that of course Ms. Rubera also…”

Rubera also nodded.

The fastest way would be to fly up there.

But the cliff was too steep and high to climb.

“We’ll have to find another way to get up. There must be a path itself since there have been several attempts at exploration already.”

Rubera seemed to be contemplating Iona’s words.

Was it okay to accompany the master’s enemy?

But she nodded obediently, saying there was no other way.

“It seems like you don’t have any weapons.”

She pointed out Iona’s appearance, who didn’t have a single weapon.

“Th-that’s…. I was in a hurry to follow you guys. But I can use magic.”

As she said that, she gathered divine power in her hand and created a light orb, showing it being fired.

“…Divine power. A priest? No, a paladin?”

“I’m just a knight. I was just born with divine power.”

Rubera frowned at those words.

The only people who can use divine power are the heroes chosen by the Holy Sword, high-ranking priests, and paladins who have undergone long training.

Hearing that she could use such a thing from birth, it only sounded like boasting.

Whether she knew Rubera’s feelings or not, Iona collected her magic power and took a map out of her bag.

Then, she squinted her eyes and examined the entire map before putting it back into her bag.

“Unfortunately, the uncharted area isn’t on the map either. It wouldn’t be uncharted if a map existed, though.”

“Then…. Let’s do this.”

Rubera took off her glove and took a small ring out of her pocket and put it on.

The ring was a crude object with a silver body and a black jewel embedded in it, giving it the feeling of a practical magical tool rather than an ornament.

When magic power was injected into the ring she was wearing, the jewel glowed faintly, and above it, an arrow that looked like wings made of magic power appeared.

“Is that…. A ring of unilateral wings?”

“That’s right. You know it well.”

Iona covered her mouth for a moment.

The ring of unilateral wings was an ancient magical tool, but now it was an object with the `tracking magic` that can be reproduced.

The extent of the excavated original was significant, so she was able to check not only the distance and direction to the target being tracked but also the shortest route to move there.

The object being tracked was another ring of unilateral wings that was paired with it.

It was common practice for guards and owners to each have one to protect the target.

However.

This was just the story about its use.

It becomes a little complicated when it comes to the source.

No matter how she looked at it, what she was using was the original.

The replica rings are more ornate, but above all, the magic power consumption efficiency is poor.

The original is an object that can only come to the world through the excavation of relics.

Naturally, the number of discoveries is also small.

That’s why they are valued more, and they are so expensive that only nobles above the level of royalty or duke can use them.

It was too rare an object for a marquis to have.

The fact that a servant had such a thing.

A link with the `returnees` who loot or steal relics was slightly visible.

“Why are you doing that?”

Did this servant know about all of this?

If she was trusted enough by the Marquis to slap his son on the cheek, maybe….

But it wasn’t a good idea to investigate it here.

“No, it’s nothing. It’s just the first time I’ve seen the original.”

“Is that so? The Marquis has two more pairs.”

“… …”

Almost confirmed.

If she submitted that ring alone to the royal family, it would be huge evidence of the backing of Marquis Hughes.

She thought it was unfortunate that she had fallen into an uncharted territory, but to some extent, it was possible to turn misfortune into a blessing.

“The direction is…. This way.”

The direction Rubera was pointing was still the cliff. And the forest path along the bottom.

It was a beast’s path untouched by human hands, but they had to somehow get through it.

Of course, there was no relationship of trust between the two.

They were thinking that they would have to rely only on their own skills to get through that place.

001

“Kugh…. Hah!”

A pure white single-edged sword was swung quickly.

Green blood – no, should she call it sap?

That guy, who didn’t look like a normal monster in any way, quickly regenerated the severed area and chuckled.

They encountered this guy about 10 minutes after entering the forest.

She had been feeling that something was watching them all along.

But the one who revealed the bottom of their patience first was the other side.

It was a monster she had never seen before.

It was bipedal, similar to humans, but its entire body was made of tree trunks.

The size was about 170cm. In terms of humans, there were holes where the eyes or mouth should be.

It was seen that the holes were expressing emotions by changing shape, getting bigger or smaller.

At the same time, it could freely expand and contract and had strength similar to steel.

Even though it was a demonic sword, the impact transmitted to her hand every time she cut it was extraordinary.

Rubera clicked her tongue and fended off the spear of vines reaching out to her.

It had already been over 5 minutes since she had been fighting this guy 2:1, but the battle wasn’t coming to an end because it kept regenerating even when she cut it.

“Flame magic…. No, if it were possible, she would have used it long ago.”

“That’s right. I’m sorry, but please hold on a little longer.”

Iona was focusing on healing spells in the back, preparing something.

Rubera took a deep breath, maintained her stance, and narrowed the distance with the plant monster.

If she just kept holding on, her stamina would run out first.

Then, she had to give a shock all at once to create an opening!

“…Wind Pond.”

The tip of the sword was pointed at the monster.

Both hands were placed next to her face. Above the shoulders close to the rear.

When magical power was contained in the horizontally fixed blade.

One breath.

Then, she sprang out like a spring and instantly infiltrated the monster’s chest.

Any humanoid monster had a part that connected the head and torso.

Most of them considered that place to be their weakness.

“Hah!”

The first strike aimed at the right side of the neck first.

The monster quickly raised its arm to block its vitals from the sword.

But then, at the next moment.

Only a sword blade made of magic power sprang out as if it were a phantom.

It passed through Rubera’s body as it was.

And cut off the monster’s left neck.

Crack!

The bark of the tree shattered, and the sap inside spurted out.

Rubera, confirming that the head had fallen to the ground, tried to get away from there first, but….

She was unable to move due to the guy’s right hand, which was holding her sword.

“What…! I cut off its head!”

Rubera was embarrassed. But in the meantime, the still-moving other hand of the guy flew towards Rubera’s abdomen.

A sharp tip like a spear.

If she was pierced through by this thickness, she would surely die.

But Rubera didn’t try to let go of her sword.

The next moment-

“Got it!”

At that moment, Rubera felt something flying past her head.

What flew from the back and hit the monster’s body was-

“…A paper airplane…?”

Rubera and the monster were momentarily embarrassed by the identity of it and stopped moving, and at the next moment.

A fierce flame erupted from the point where the monster and the paper airplane collided.

The flame penetrated not the outside of the monster but the inside, burning it from within.

In the end, that guy, who had turned to ashes in an instant, even let go of the hand holding the demonic sword.

It was falling to the ground.

“…Weren’t you unable to use flame magic?”

“That’s right! So I made a flame magic scroll and threw it. I made it on the spot, but it’s not bad, right?”

Iona proudly showed the pen and ink she was holding in her hand.

The ink was… red. No matter how she looked at it, it wasn’t ordinary ink.

“Are you carrying your own blood in a bottle? Knights are unique.”

“If, if you say that, it sounds like all the royal knights are like this. It’s just me.”

Iona blushed as if embarrassed and put the pen and ink in her bag.

“…Shouldn’t you make a few more before moving?”

“I was thinking that too, but if you make an ordinary piece of paper into a scroll like just now, the maintenance time is too short.”

“…That means. From now on, I have to be a shield in front and buy time until you make that scroll?”

Rubera thought it was a bit unreasonable, but it was virtually the only way, so she nodded as if she couldn’t help it.

“But you have excellent swordsmanship. Not as much as our gorilla, though.”

“A gorilla…. Ah, are you talking about Mr. Talchek? Of course, compared to the Sword Saint, my swordsmanship is nothing.”

Rubera was expressing her humility, but Iona shook her head.

“Why is someone with your skills under Marquis Hughes…. If you joined the Knights, you would have been able to play a more active role.”

“…Everyone has their own circumstances.”

Rubera turned her body and returned her sword to her waist at Iona’s probing words.

Her expression seemed a little uncomfortable.

`…Was that last remark a landmine.`

Iona thought so for a moment and then moved forward again.

She was thinking that she had to gather even a little bit of information to prepare for what was to come.

002

Before she knew it, the sun had set.

She was definitely moving forward little by little.

But the more she went forward, the more monsters appeared.

It was fortunate that only one monster appeared at a time. The problem was elsewhere.

“…Haa… Haa…”

Rubera’s stamina was slowly showing its limits.

The amount of time it took to deal with each one was getting longer.

She had become accustomed to the time it takes to create scrolls, so it had actually been shortened.

The monsters, as if learning from the failures of each previous individual and reappearing.

They would counter the methods that had worked before.

When she came up with another method, the next guy would block it.

She had made wounds several times to replenish the blood in the empty ink bottle.

No matter how much recovery magic she had, it only stopped the wounds, but it only returned a very small amount of blood in the body.

On top of that, even magic power was starting to run out.

“How many is this….”

“I stopped counting from the 10th one….”

The two of them, completely exhausted, sat down next to the tree they had just knocked down.

This was dangerous.

Even if she went any further, she didn’t think she would be able to escape this place.

No matter how she thought about it, these monsters were chasing them.

And one by one. One by one. Appearing in order.

They were slowly giving them despair that was slowly approaching.

She couldn’t help but think that way.

“This is an uncharted area…. Why is there such a place in a remote city….”

Even in the midst of all this, Iona was writing down what she saw and felt in her notebook.

These monsters didn’t occur naturally.

Something was deforming the plants or the deformed seeds were being scattered as a cause.

It would be growing from there.

The fact that it can regenerate was because it was connected to the ley lines of this land itself.

Thinking that way, there would be a main body creating them near here.

“… But the problem is…. She doesn’t know how strong that main body will be….”

Iona muttered as she organized her thoughts.

Rubera, looking at Iona like that, sighed and stood up first.

“To think I would die with the master’s enemy.”

“It’s not confirmed that we’re going to die yet, right? Let’s go a little further. Surely Crayon…. No. My companion will be looking for us.”

“… …”

Rubera lowered her head for a moment.

Whether Iona’s words were true or not.

It was obvious that Eustace wouldn’t be looking for her.

“Is your companion…. Strong enough to come down here and save us all?”

“…That, I also. I can’t answer for sure, but.”

Iona thought about the fight from before.

The leader bear.

The image of Crayon fighting equally against even a demon beast using only swordsmanship from the front without ever backing down.

On the contrary, his appearance, as if he was enjoying the fight with someone equal, was similar to the attitude of her adoptive father, `Talchek`.

“He… can be trusted.”

That’s why she answered that way.

Iona herself didn’t know how much of Crayon’s strength he had.

But if he was the same kind of person as her father.

He could be trusted.

That’s what she judged.

“… …”

Rubera was silent for a moment after seeing Iona’s expression.

“Is that so.”

She didn’t leave any particular impressions, but her voice was somehow lonely.

Iona also stood up without saying anything more.

At that time-

Thud… Thud…

Something was coming, shaking the ground.

The two cowered at the goosebumps all over their bodies.

It was magical pressure.

The presence of a strong person who exerted pressure on the surrounding objects just by being there.

What slowly walked out and revealed itself in the vision obscured by the trees was.

A plant golem.

[KURRRRAAA!]

Its size was about 5m. One arm or leg was close to the size of a giant.

Of course, it didn’t seem like Rubera’s demonic sword would be stuck in this guy’s body.

She couldn’t create a flame magic scroll herself unless Rubera blocked it in front.

That monster was the `death` itself of the two.

But.

The two bit their lips at the same time.

They thought at the same time that they had too much to do to fall here yet.

“Can you write the scroll while moving?”

“It’ll be hard, but…. It’s not impossible. I never thought that always walking around and taking notes in my notebook would be helpful.”

Rubera showed a smile for the first time at the joke Iona threw.

“I can’t block him from the front. All I can do is make him pay attention by running around on the trees and cutting off branches.”

“How much is possible?”

“…2 minutes.”

Stamina that had reached its limit.

Overwhelming difference in strength.

The fact that she could move even for 2 minutes in that situation was showing Rubera’s potential.

It was impossible to defeat that golem with a single flame magic of the same power as before.

Iona quietly checked the remaining paper and ink and nodded.

“Yeah. It’s impossible.”

A clean declaration of abandonment.

Rubera’s eyes widened as if she was a little surprised at those words.

“You’re giving up here? What about the momentum from a moment ago?”

“No. What I said was impossible was when using the `scroll`.”

“…Then?”

Iona looked down at her hand for a moment and then cut her arm with a dagger.

Once again, blood containing divine power flowed out and poured into the bottle.

Iona staggered as if she was anemic when the bottle that had filled up in an instant was handed to Rubera.

The healing magic had stopped the bleeding, but it was still the same that she had used too much.

“…The blood in the bottle… on the sword..”

Iona muttered in a quiet and weak voice.

Rubera, supporting the staggering her, heard the story and widened her eyes.

“…Is it…. Possible? That?”

“Do you know…? Paper is originally made from wood.”

After leaving Iona leaning against a tree, giving a faint smile for a moment.

Rubera opened the lid of the bottle and poured it into her demonic sword.

The illusion that something like a pulse, thumping… thumping… was felt in the sword.

And when she applied magic power to the sword, the blood contained in the demonic sword did not fall to the ground.

It remained hanging on the sword as it was.

She used all of the remaining magic power to maintain the strength of her legs and sword.

Rubera, who was facing the golem, soon came.

As soon as the golem saw Rubera, it tried to flatten her with its huge arm.

A blow as if a building pillar was falling from the sky.

Rubera quickly kicked the ground and moved to get out of the golem’s arm.

What followed was a leap. Stepping on the arm, she climbed on top of it and swung her sword.

At first glance, it was a reckless hack as if she had given up everything.

It wasn’t aiming for vitals, nor was it trying to cut off joints.

All she was doing was making scratches on the shell with insufficient power.

The plant golem was annoyed by Rubera’s movements and tried to knock Rubera away with its other arm.

Rubera jumped up again and went to the back of the golem this time.

When she repeated this several times, sweat poured out from Rubera’s entire body, and her breathing became rapid.

But there was no particular damage to the golem.

There were only minor injuries and Iona’s blood applied to them.

The golem, with scratches on its back, behind its head, and in various places on its legs and arms, seemed to have become accustomed to Rubera’s movements.

Aiming for the gap when she landed on the ground, it swung its fist.

“Kgh…!!”

She quickly blocked a direct hit to her body with her demonic sword.

But the body was sent flying by the impact as it was.

In the end, Rubera, who was exhausted after being knocked into a tree, slowly lowered her head.

The next moment.

Iona had somehow approached and grabbed the golem’s leg, which was focused on Rubera.

If the gold of divine power momentarily passed through her eyes.

“Activate…!”

Along with the keyword, flames erupted from Iona’s blood smeared on the golem.

Powerful flames soared like pillars, extending their momentum to the sky.

What Rubera had engraved on the golem’s entire body were the letters of the incantation written on the scroll.

The golem was burned on the spot, with the outer surface burning at the same time as the flames penetrated inside.

It collapsed its huge body.

“Haa… Haa…”

Anemia, fatigue. And the consumption of magic power covered Iona’s entire body.

Even so, she barely approached Rubera and used recovery magic to erase the shock and damage she had just received.

“…The golem…”

“It’s over. You’re a calligrapher of the century.”

Rubera smiled softly at Iona’s words.

“…Is that so.”

She had overcome the crisis once again like this.

But. The two knew.

There was no next time.

If this golem appears again.

They would end here.

And. That imagination becomes reality immediately afterward.

The sound of thud… thud… echoing.

The vibrations of the ground that were transmitted from afar.

Iona pulls out her dagger once again.

But Rubera stood up while supporting her body with her demonic sword, stopping Iona like that.

“It’s suicidal to draw more blood. Just rest quietly.”

“… …”

Rubera’s body was at its limit.

Just standing probably felt like her whole body was being crushed.

And the plant golem reveals itself.

Both Iona and Rubera stood in place with the determination to pour out everything they had left, and at the next moment.

“Behold, the majesty of the gods plundered from heaven! This is the primordial gate that begins the world!”

The magical incantation that echoed in the sky.

And a giant red magic circle covering her head.

When the magic circle with a door-like design literally opened.

From within, dozens, hundreds, thousands of spears of flame appeared. They fell like rain.

“Prometheus Gate!”

The 4th tier magic used by those who have reached the realm of archmages.

The magic of fire that pierces through the plant golem’s entire body and burns everything in an instant.

When Iona and Rubera looked up at the same time.

She saw a red-haired wizard floating in the sky with a staff pointed at them.

“…Phew…”

As she quietly sighed, she moved her hand.

Both Rubera and Iona were lifted up by levitation magic.

“Ms. Laila Flamewatch….”

Iona quietly looked at the person who had saved her.

“Greetings can wait. You have to tell me about that magic from before later.”

“Before…? Ah. That’s what you mean. I understand. More than that…. Where is that person?”

“…Probably looking for the other side. It was that guy who called me here.”

Iona nodded and looked at Rubera.

She was already completely exhausted and in a state close to fainting.

“Can we go to the mansion?”

“No way. This one is out of the question, let alone you.”

Laila spoke coldly, but Iona nodded as if she couldn’t help it.

“Instead, I’ll send you to the temple in town.”

“Thank you. Please do so.”

Laila quietly took the two and flew into the sky.

At the same time, she was calling Crayon with fire magic to tell him that she had found the two.

003

The city’s temple.

After the priests hurriedly treated the two injured people who suddenly appeared.

Iona and Rubera quietly led their fully recovered bodies and walked out of the temple.

“… …”

“… …”

An awkward silence.

They had joined forces to survive in an uncharted territory, but when she thought about it, the two were still enemies.

But after experiencing such a thing, she didn’t feel like raising her voice or doing anything here at all.

“Let’s bury what happened today….”

Iona was the first to open her mouth.

Then Rubera also nodded.

“I think that would be better. We’re enemies anyway.”

Iona also nodded at Rubera’s words.

But before leaving.

Iona spoke as if she couldn’t bear it.

“Your handwriting… was written with a demonic sword. But I could definitely read it. Surely, the handwriting written by hand would be prettier.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“No. I just thought I wanted to read the writing or sentences you wrote.”

Iona returned to the accommodation where Talchek was waiting, uttering pure impressions.

Rubera looked at her back for a while with a look that she didn’t know what she meant….

She was heading to the Marquis’s mansion, where her master would be.

The city at night.

A silver-haired girl sparkling under the moonlight and.

A black-haired girl walking in the shadows, avoiding even that moonlight.

She was standing inside the black and white where the boundaries were blurred.