episode_0116

000

“You worked hard… What, why the long face?”

Finally, seeing the subtle expressions of Kleon and Sasha, who had returned to the mansion with the Stone Gun, the object they initially aimed for, Layla spoke as if questioning them.

She had already set up all the magical tools that could extract videos in the workshop, thinking of analyzing the Memoria Cube immediately when Kleon brought the Stone Gun.

Beatrix next to her was seen holding a wrench and doing the final adjustments.

When departing from Vito’s warehouse, the two of them spoke as if nothing was wrong, but as they returned home, they gradually spoke less, and the events they experienced in the mirror world flashed back, creating an awkward atmosphere.

“Hey Layla. If you calculate the time it took for the two of them to go out and come back, you’ll know it took a long time, right?”

Looking at the two of them, Bea, seeing Layla’s suspicion, peeks out from behind the machine and speaks.

The sight of her cheeks smudged with black oil was a little different from usual, and refreshing.

“Ah~. Well, I don’t intend to point out what the two of them did somewhere. Why are you acting like this when you’re not even virgins or bachelors?”

“No… I just realized again that Vito’s warehouse has a lot of strange relics….”

Sasha, hearing Kleon’s answer, also smiles awkwardly and scratches her cheek.

“Whatever. Show me the Stone Gun you brought.”

When Layla said that, Kleon took out the ancient relic `Hermes Trismegistus’ Stone Gun` borrowed from Vito’s warehouse, as she wanted, and handed it to her.

Outwardly, it’s just a plain old stone key.

However, even the rope tied to the hole in the head of the key is a magical tool, and it is said that it can never be cut no matter what kind of cutting tool is used.

Thanks to that, it is also impossible to reuse the rope.

And of course, no matter what anyone says, the real value of this tool is the key itself.

A magical tool that creates conceptual, ideological openings that can open any `locked thing`.

This object, estimated to have been made in the age of mythology, even older than the age of the ancients, decreases in size the more it is used, and will eventually disappear if it exceeds the set usage amount.

Therefore, it was necessary to use it with caution, and duplication was impossible, so at the Academy, this object could only be used for matters approved by the Council of 12 Elders, or with the consent of at least 5 department heads.

After resolving various incidents, as a result of expressing gratitude, it was possible to obtain the consent of 5 department heads, and after a long journey, the conditions to achieve the biggest goal of coming to the Academy were finally met.

“The records you can see by opening the Memoria Cube will be transferred through this magical tool. If you want to see the details, you’ll have to use the projection magical tool here.”

“Is it impossible to view it directly from the Memoria Cube?”

“It is possible, but you have to use the Stone Gun again every time you open it…. The Memoria Cube itself doesn’t have functions like rewind or fast forward. So to find the part you want, it’s best to use the recording magical tool, right?”

Layla answered Kleon’s question coolly and checked the projection and recording magical tool that Beatrix was preparing.

“Is that the magical tool? It looks quite old….”

At Sasha’s innocent and pure impression, Layla groaned, and Beatrix answered with a bitter smile.

“Projection magical tools are more expensive than you think…. I hastily brought the one that was in Layla’s main house.”

“Layla’s main house. When I saw the memories before, it was definitely-”

Kleon remembers the time when he peeked into Layla’s memories during the incident with Albein, when he heard Bea’s words.

In that memory, there was also a memory of the place where Layla’s main house is located, that is, her hometown.

“West of the Royal Capital. A complete backwater village. A village specializing in medicinal herbs and hot springs. `Hellis`.”

Layla answered as if muttering before Kleon could say anything.

“That’s right. It was definitely a name like that. It was a place that had nothing to do with magic, considering it was Layla’s hometown.”

And Kleon also nods at Layla’s words, but Layla makes a slightly displeased expression.

“Well, my grandfather deliberately chose such a place. In his later years, he liked tending to the herb garden and digging hot springs with the villagers using pickaxes and shovels more than magic.”

The image of her grandfather in her memory is reconstructed in Kleon’s head.

It was a kind and solemn figure of an old man.

Originally, wizards tend to avoid physical labor because their stamina deteriorates, but for that person, a cane would certainly suit him, but he also looked like he could carry a shovel and a pickaxe.

Hot springs and herb gardens. Many adventurers lose their lives on their journeys, but most of them dream of retiring from being adventurers and living their lives after hitting it big.

Kleon also had a longing for a `normal life`, and he thought that it would definitely be a wonderful thing to retire from being an adventurer and go down to the countryside to spend time slowly doing odd jobs.

“…Not bad. That kind of old age too.”

When he muttered those words, Layla and Beatrix next to him reacted.

“”Huh?””

It was as if such an old age did not suit Kleon.

“…What’s with that reaction?”

“That’s great~! I’m also from the countryside, but the place I lived was a bit unique. I’d like to live in a village where I can spend such a leisurely life too.”

Whether Kleon said it with dissatisfaction or not, Sasha agrees with Kleon’s words and her eyes sparkle.

“…As expected, Sasha is pure. Okay. Then should we gather money and look for a place to settle down….”

When Kleon spoke, stroking Sasha’s head with eyes looking a little far away, Layla and Beatrix, who were flustered, clung to Kleon and stopped him.

“Wait a minute! It’s a problem if you’re already thinking about retiring!”

“T, that’s right. Senior! Our adventure hasn’t even started yet!”

“An adventurer’s retirement always comes suddenly….”

“Kleon~!”

“Senior~!”

Kleon just laughed `Hehe….` while listening to Layla and Beatrix’s voices.

“Ah, by the way…. It’s rare for Layla to have money problems…?”

Then Sasha speaks as if she suddenly remembered, and Layla flinches and shrinks her shoulders.

“Ah ah. That’s because, Sasha.”

When Beatrix tries to answer about that question, Layla hurriedly reaches out and covers her mouth.

“…What, don’t tell me you gambled or something?”

“H, huh!? Gamble!? There’s no way! It’s just…. There were some unexpected expenses. It’s an amount that can be recovered right away if you do a little research and publish a paper.”

Layla answers, blushing, to Kleon’s question. Well, as she says, Layla probably has the best income in this party right now.

She can receive royalties by handing over a few magical tool ideas in her head to the Department of Magical Tools, and if she researches and achieves results, she will also receive scholarships from the Academy.

That’s why it’s a little strange that she’s bringing up money problems, but if Layla herself doesn’t want to say the reason, there’s nothing she can do.

“…W, whatever. I’ll have Bea and I fix this magical tool by evening. You two go up and wait.”

Layla speaks as if she doesn’t want to delay the work any longer and sends Kleon and Sasha out of the underground workshop.

Kleon and Sasha look at each other for a moment and shrug their shoulders, then go up to the mansion’s lobby.

001

“Thank you for the meal! Kuon, this stew was really delicious! Could you possibly tell me the recipe…?”

“Ahaha… of course. It’s not much of a recipe, but… I’ll write it down in a notebook and show it to you later.”

That day’s dinner was also a satisfying meal.

Well-baked bread, Kuon’s special stew. And the meat dish that Iona learned for de-checking. She said that de-check always tried to eat raw meat, so he was drunk to the point of being unconscious when he ate her cooking, so she never got any feedback on the taste, which was her regret.

Her cooking also had a different flavor from what Kleon and Sasha did during camping, even though she just seasoned and grilled the meat.

“Layla. There are broccoli and bell peppers left.”

“Ugh. That much is okay, right….”

And when Kleon points to Layla’s plate and points it out, Layla frowns slightly and answers.

This lady… compared to Sasha, who emptied her plate cleanly, she’s really picky about food like a child, making you wonder if she’s really older.

“If you keep going like this, Sasha will overtake you and become much taller and more mature….”

Kleon mutters that as he unknowingly recalls Sasha’s appearance in the mirror world.

“K, Kleon….”

And Sasha also blushes, as if she realized that Kleon had recalled that appearance.

“It’s okay, it’s okay. You can grow even if you don’t eat vegetables. If necessary, you can make a magical potion for growth and take it. How about growing as big as Kuon while you’re at it?”

When Layla answers, raising the corners of her mouth and waving her hand, Sasha raises her voice as if shocked, looking at Layla.

“I, is that possible!? That’s unfair!”

“Concerns about people with slow development have been around for a long time~ There’s been a lot of research on that side already.”

When Iona, who heard Layla’s story, points that out from the side, Layla’s body stiffens.

“T, that’s right…”

And when Sasha makes a sound as if relieved, Layla shouts.

“W, wait a minute! Why are you sighing in relief like that! I, I absolutely won’t lose to Sasha!”

“I, I’m sorry~!”

A chaotic and noisy dinner.

Just with Ioni and Beatrix joining, it became such a lively place.

Kleon quietly drinks his after-dinner tea in between, sighing as if relieved.

“Hoo… That was delicious… It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve had such a warm home-cooked meal.”

It would have been better if this woman wasn’t next to me.

“Weren’t you going back?”

Kleon speaks to Sophia without even turning his head.

After hearing Kleon’s answer in that conversation, she even performed a disappearing act saying `I’ll wait in the future…`.

Kleon could never imitate her shamelessness in appearing in front of him again and getting dinner.

“Ahaha~ I was going to, but I wanted to eat the meal that Kleon makes for the first time in a while. Well, I ended up eating food made by someone else, but this is not bad either. No, it was actually good.”

“Sorry to hear that. I hardly cook anymore….”

When Kleon says that, Sophia answers as if teasing Kleon.

“What, Kleon. Since when did you become such a patriarchal man?”

“It’s not like that. …After she disappeared, and you guys left the city one by one, I didn’t need to make it for anyone, so I naturally stopped doing it. After living with Kuon and the others like this, everyone is more satisfied with what Kuon does than what I do.”

At Kleon’s answer, Sophia rests her chin on her hand and looks at Kleon sideways. Is she bothered by what he said – everyone left the city one by one?

But as if not wanting to show that directly, Sophia speaks to Kleon.

“Hmm. Still, you help out sometimes, right?”

“Well… I do some of the ingredient preparation…”

“Great. What, even as a joke? Because Kleon’s cooking isn’t as good as this Kuon’s cooking? You could say it’s more reasonable than Kleon cooking?”

Kleon finally turns his gaze to Sophia, who is saying those words. Sophia was smiling with the corners of her mouth raised.

“Did you come back to tease me?”

“No, I came to apologize.”

When Kleon asks that, Sophia answers without changing her expression. But, her voice was sincere.

It had been like that since they were young. It was harder for Kleon to read emotions from Sophia’s expression than to predict the opponent’s actions during battle.

The idiotic great sage.

Sophia is usually called by such a name.

Idiocy is the opposite of the name sage, that is, `wise person`, and is a word that refers to someone with low intelligence or mental retardation.

But there is no other word that better represents Sophia than this word.

As that word suggests, there is a problem with Sophia’s head.

That’s because the most precious thing she sacrificed to awaken as a great sage was a part of her brain.

According to what Thalcheck told her when she was young, when Lesia was dying after being exposed to the enemy’s poison, knowledge and ability as a great sage were absolutely necessary to make the antidote.

At the time, Sophia, who was still a candidate for the great sage, that is, an apprentice sage, needed to sacrifice her most precious thing to the Well of the Sage to save her friend.

Her brilliant brain, which contained a lot of knowledge, was the most valuable thing she had.

As a result, she was able to gain the power of a great sage, but there was a disability left in her damaged brain.

The lacking parts were filled with magic to maintain life, but there were some emotional expression disorders and periodic memory loss, excluding knowledge.

Her personality seems to have become quite cheerful since becoming a great sage, but thanks to that, it became difficult to read her emotions, and she can’t remember the face of someone she met 3 days ago.

However, even she regularly eats a poisonous medicine that makes her vomit everything inside every time she swallows it.

She never forgets anything related to her colleagues and finished her journey.

The fact that she still hasn’t forgotten about Lesia and their journey, and Kleon, is proof that she is still taking that medicine.

“… …”

“Kleon. We… failed. Thalcheck died. I can’t walk through the dimensional rift anymore. Eska… it seems like she’s doing her best in her own way, but the priorities have been reversed. In the end, the three of us, who were her colleagues, all failed to get her back.”

“… Sophia.”

Kleon speaks quietly as if stopping her, but Sophia continues to speak without caring about that.

“Yeah. So. Kleon, you can quit if you want to. …You already know how her ending turned out, right?”

“… …”

“… I’m sorry to say this, of all people.”

The words she speaks carry more weight than what others say.

Before, she told Kleon that the time of choice would come. Now that the preparation for the Stone Gun is over, that time is right around the corner. The fact that she is telling Kleon this story again means that.

Clearly, the event that will happen if Kleon chooses to follow Lesia will lead to something harsh for Kleon.

Maybe he will be separated from all the colleagues in front of him now.

Even this peaceful and enjoyable scene surrounding the dining table.

The routine of waking up early in the morning and lightly running on the road together.

The peace of drinking tea and chatting with snacks.

And, the nights of confirming each other’s existence.

If he throws away all the valuable things now and goes to find Lesia, who he may or may not be able to find, is that really the right thing for Kleon to do?

The image of the Kuon from the parallel world is still lingering in Kleon’s head.

He may not be able to see Sasha as an adult in the real world, as he saw her in the mirror world.

He may make Layla, who thought she had lost a friend named Beatrix, have a similar experience.

Luti and Perdia, who are waiting for them to return in Elesia. Iona, who shares memories with Thalcheck. Rubera, one of the few remaining members of her clan.

Aruru, who found similarities with each other and became friends and lovers, transcending the conflicting positions of hero and swordmaster.

The longer they spend time together, the more his obsession with Lesia felt like a betrayal to all of them.

Even so, even so, there was a reason why Kleon couldn’t give up on Lesia.

There was a single, simple reason that wasn’t complicated.

“When I wanted salvation. Lesia saved me.”

Yes.

The boy, who was destined to die in the Tower of Stars, was saved by a golden hero who fell like a comet.

She gave him life, teachings, hope, and love.

That day.

The day she was banished to the dimensional rift.

Thalcheck told him not to follow him, but there was no way he could just stand still.

That’s why he secretly followed him, and there.

There was Thalcheck, frozen as if time had stopped, with everything already over.

And Lesia’s body was half swallowed by the dimensional rift.

When Kleon, who was staring at that scene with wide eyes in the alleyway, couldn’t take a step out of fear.

The moment Lesia’s eyes met his.

Lesia reached out to Kleon.

As if trying to grab Kleon.

It may have been a gesture meaning don’t come this way.

But Kleon thought she was `asking for help`.

That’s why he ran out of the alley-, and when he came to his senses, only Thalcheck and Kleon were left in that place.

He didn’t know what had happened, but there were no wounds on his body.

“…If Lesia needs help, I will respond to it.”

“…Yeah. I thought so.”

Sophia stood up from her seat.

This time, she moves slowly without using magic.

The sad face she showed at the previous farewell was no longer visible. No, Kleon knew very well that expressions didn’t mean anything to her.

What he had to feel was her voice.

A voice that was somehow relieved and reassured.

The words of the great sage always contain only the truth.

“I’ll go, Kleon. May Lesia’s blessing be with your journey.”

She, who doesn’t believe in God, blesses Kleon by borrowing the name of the person she trusts the most.

Like a quiet breeze, just like when she came, Sophia opened the door of the mansion and left.

Kleon looks at her back for a while and then returns to the dining table where everyone is waiting.

He knew why Sophia had repeated the same question to Kleon once again.

Well, Sophia felt the same way as Kleon.

Whether he could really save her in their place.

To Kleon, whom they consider their only hope.

He wanted to have the possibility of saving Lesia confirmed by his mouth. He wanted to be relieved. And, he wanted to apologize for the guilt of passing on such hope.

But Kleon knew.

Thalcheck, Sophia, and Eska too.

If there were no obstacles blocking them, they wouldn’t have stopped.

Even if finding Lesia would turn everything in the world against them.

As a result, even if he himself was exiled from the world.

He was going to regain Lesia’s golden hope.