Chapter 32 – Black & White

000

Recalling everything, Iona checked her body condition.

Fortunately, compared to others, I was confident in the strength of my body.

The wounds left on the body are only bruises, no bleeding, no fractures.

“…That tree trunk… From where.”

The one Iona, who got up like that, went closer to Ruba who was lying next to her.

Blood flowed from the head, and the demonic sword that was being guarded with the whole body was visible in the body in order not to be stolen by any means.

Iona’s gaze instantly turned to that demonic sword.

The trunk of the tree that pulled them was nowhere to be seen, and there was no sign of any monsters around.

If you try to reach out for that demonic sword as if you are being guided by something.

“… Oops…!”

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

Iona hurriedly returns her hand and examines Rubera’s condition.

“This is… The young master…”

Ruba muttered as if she couldn’t grasp the situation properly yet.

Iona ponders for a moment before putting her hand to her head.

And if you use a healing spell while casting magic lightly.

I could see Rubera’s scars slowly disappearing.

“Kuh… You… Iona Chevalier…”

“Yes. You knew that, too.”

Ruba frowned as her eyesight returned and she identified who was curing her.

People in the royal palace who are trying to investigate the Marquis Hughes, whom they serve.

In other words, he was the enemy of his master.

It was she who thought she felt strange when she accompanied Eustes.

“Why… Are you here?”

As if trying to understand the situation, Lubera raised her body, but it seemed that her head wasn’t the only one injured.

In order to move his body properly, including a fracture in his leg, he had to fix it here and there.

“Well, I woke up and saw that you were next to me. Were you dragged by the tree trunk like I was?”

Iona speaks as if she were joking, but Rubera frowns and nods.

“The others?”

“No. Stupid… No, your master ran away right away with the other adventurers.”

“… It’s fortunate that you have that level of judgment.”

Ruba let out a sigh as if relieved.

For Iona, at least, unlike Cleon, who followed after her, Eustes, who had just run away, felt that she was savage.

As the person concerned, it seemed to think that it was fortunate that the person to be protected did not throw himself into unnecessary danger.

Two people who heal the entire body in silence for a while.

Before long, Ruba, who was able to move without problems, stood up and returned her demonic sword to her waist.

“Didn’t I… Try to touch the magic sword?”

“Yes? That… No. Was it…?”

Iona clumsily looked away and pretended not to know.

Looking at Iona, Ruba turned her head again.

“…You cast a healing spell, so I won’t ask you any more about it.”

After that word. Iona exhaled a sigh of relief.

The important thing now is the Marquis Hughes.

It’s not a story about Eustes.

“…Unexplored territory? This is it.”

“Yes. I guess so.”

Both of them frown and look around.

Certainly, I fell from a high place, but the sunlight is coming in properly and there is no sense of incongruity with the surrounding plants.

However. A feeling of being squeezed in the chest somewhere.

Iona looked at the signs around her with a feeling of uneasiness, but she still did not feel the presence of the monster.

“Is there a way to go up. You use healing spells, but flying spells?”

“…I’m sorry, but there’s no magic like that. Of course you’re asking me, Mr. Rubera…”

Ruba also nodded.

Although the fastest way would be to fly up there.

It was too steep and high to climb the cliff.

“I’ll have to find a way to go up to another place. As there have already been several attempts to explore, the road itself will exist.”

At Iona’s words, Ruba seemed to be pondering for a moment.

Can I accompany my master’s enemy?

However, he nodded his head obediently saying there was no other way.

“I don’t think you’re armed.”

At the same time, he pointed out Iona’s outfit without her without a weapon.

“That. That’s… I was in a hurry to follow you. But I can use magic.”

As she says that, she gathers divine magic in her hand and creates a light bullet and fires it.

“…Divine magical power. Cleric? No, are you a paladin?”

“It’s just a knight. Holy magic is just innate.”

Ruba frowned at those words for a moment.

The holy sword can be used by warriors chosen by the holy sword, high-ranking clergy, and long-trained paladins.

Being able to use such a thing from birth is nothing but boasting.

Whether or not she knows Ruba’s state of mind, Iona saves her magic her and takes out a map from her bag her.

Then, after examining the entire map with her eyes narrowed, she returned it to her bag.

“Unfortunately, the map doesn’t show unexplored areas either. If there is a map, it might not be unexplored.”

“Then… Let’s do this.”

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

The ring was a rugged object with a black jewel embedded in a silver body, and it felt like a practical magic tool rather than an ornament.

When magic is injected into the worn ring, the jewel glows softly, and an arrow shaped like wings made of magic floats above it.

“Is this… The Ring of Convenience?”

“That’s right. You know it well.”

Iona covered her mouth for a moment.

The Ring of Convenience is an ancient magic tool, and it is an item endowed with ‘tracking magic’ that can only be reproduced now.

The extent of the excavated original was considerable, and it was possible to check the distance and direction to the object to be tracked, as well as the shortest route to move there.

The tracking object is another pair of rings of convenience.

It was common usage for an escort and master to have one for the protection of the subject.

But.

This is a story about its use.

When it comes to sources, it gets a little more complicated.

The one she used was, by all accounts, the original.

The counterfeit ring is a little more decorative, but above all, the efficiency of magic power consumption is bad.

The original is something that can only come out of the world through the excavation of artifacts.

Of course, few have been found.

That is why it is considered more valuable, and it is also an expensive item that can be used by royalty or nobles above dukes.

It was a very rare item for the Marquis to have.

That the attendant had such a thing.

A link with the ‘returner’ who robbed or robbed artifacts was slightly visible.

“Why is that?”

Does this attendant know about such a full story?

If the Marquis trusts him enough to slap his son, maybe…

But it was not best to inquire about it here and now.

“No, no. It’s the first time I’ve seen the original.”

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

“…”

Almost confirmed.

If the ring alone was presented to the royal family, it would be a great proof of the success of the Marquis Hughes.

I thought it was a misfortune to fall into an unexplored territory, but to some extent, it was possible to be blessed.

“The direction… This way.”

The direction Ruba is pointing is, of course, the cliff. And the forest road along the bottom.

It is a path of animals untouched by human hands, but I had to somehow get through it.

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

He thought that he had to overcome it only by relying on his own skills.

001

“Kuh… Ha!”

The pure white single-edged sword swung quickly.

Green blood- should I say sap?

No matter how you look at it, the guy who wasn’t a normal monster was laughing and giggling while quickly regenerating the severed parts.

It was about 10 minutes after entering the forest that I encountered this guy.

In the meantime, I had the feeling that something was watching them.

It was the other side who first showed the bottom of their patience.

It was the first monster I had ever seen.

It walks on two legs similar to humans, but its entire body is made up of tree trunks.

The size is about 170cm. In terms of humans, there were holes where eyes and mouths should be.

The hole could be seen changing its shape, or expressing emotions by growing and then shrinking.

At the same time, it stretches freely and has a strength similar to that of steel.

No matter how much it is called a demonic sword, the shock transmitted to the hand every time it is cut was extraordinary.

Ruba kicked her tongue and cut off the spear of the stem that was reaching out to her.

I’ve already been fighting this guy 2:1 for over 5 minutes, but I couldn’t come to a decision because I repeated Bear and Bear again.

“Fire magic… No, if it was possible, I would have used it right away.”

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

Iona was preparing something behind her, concentrating on her healing spells.

Ruba took a deep breath and closed the gap with the plant monster while maintaining her posture.

If you just hold out forever, this is the one where your stamina will be depleted first.

Then give it a shock at once and make a gap!

“…Wind Pond.”

The tip of the sword points towards the monster.

Both hands at the sides of the face. Up of the shoulder close to the back.

When the horizontally fixed sword is imbued with magical power.

One breath.

Then, it pops out like a spring and burrows into the monster’s arms in an instant.

All humanoid monsters have a part that connects the head and body.

Most of them have it as their weakness.

“Ha!”

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

The monster quickly raised its arm and blocked its own vital point from the sword.

But the next moment.

Just like an illusion, only the blade of a sword made of magic protrudes.

After passing through Rubera’s body as it is.

Cut off the left neck of the monster.

Kwajik!

The tree’s bark cracks, and the sap inside spurts out.

After confirming that the head fell to the ground, Ruba tries to fall from there first…

He was immobilized by the right hand of the guy holding his sword.

“What… ! I cut off my head!”

Embarrassed Ruba. But in the meantime, his other hand, still moving, flew towards Rubera’s abdomen.

A sharp tip like a spear.

If you get pierced with this thickness, you will surely die.

But Rubera did not want to let go of the sword.

Next moment-

“Done!”

In an instant, Ruba felt something flying past her head.

It flew from behind and hit the body of the monster-

“…Paper airplane…?”

The next moment both Ruba and the monsters stopped moving for a moment as they were confused by its identity her.

Fire flames rose from the place where the monster and the paper airplane collided.

The flame penetrates the inside of the monster, not the outside, and burns it from the inside.

In the end, that guy who was reduced to ashes in an instant even let go of the hand that was holding the magic sword.

Will fall to the ground

“…Wasn’t it that you couldn’t use fire magic?”

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

Iona proudly shows the pen and ink in her hand her.

The ink is… Red. No matter how you look at it, it’s no ordinary food.

“Are you carrying your own blood in a bottle? The article is unusual.”

“Well, if you put it that way, it seems like all the Kingdom Knights do this. I’m the only one.”

Iona blushed in embarrassment and put the pen and ink in her bag.

“…Wouldn’t it be better to write a few more pages before moving?”

“I thought so too, but just like before, if you make a scroll out of ordinary paper, the holding time is too short.”

“…That means that I will continue to have to shield myself in front of you and wait for you to create the scroll?”

Ruba thought it was a little unreasonable, but in fact it was the only way, so she nodded as if she couldn’t help it.

“But it’s good swordsmanship. Not as good as our gorillas.”

“Gorilla… Ah, are you Talchek-sama?

Ruba expressed humility, but Iona shook her head.

“Why is it that a talented person like you could have been more active if he joined the Knights… Under Marquis Hughes?”

“…Everyone has their own circumstances.”

At Iona’s teasing words, Ruba turned around and returned the sword to her waist.

His expression her seemed a little uncomfortable.

‘… Was the remark I just made a land mine?’

Iona thinks so for a moment and then moves forward again.

I thought I should dig up a little bit of information and prepare for the future.

002

At some point the sun got dark.

I’m sure I’m moving forward little by little.

As you move forward, the frequency of the monsters popping out increases.

It was fortunate that only one came out at a time. The problem was elsewhere.

“…Haha…”

Rubera’s stamina is slowly showing its limits.

The time it takes to deal with each one is getting longer.

The time to write a scroll was rather shortened because I got used to it.

It was as if the monsters were reappearing after learning the failures of the entire entity every time.

The way that worked before will be dealt with next time.

If you come up with another way, the next one will block it.

How many times have you cut yourself to replenish blood in an empty ink bottle?

Even if there is a recovery magic. It was only to stop the wound, but it was very little to return the amount of blood in the body.

There, even the mana begins to run out.

“How many do you have with this…”

“I stopped counting at 10…”

Two people who were completely exhausted and sat next to the tree they had just felled.

Dangerous.

Even if I go further than this, I don’t think I will be able to escape this place.

No matter how I thought about it, these monsters were chasing us.

And one. One animal. Appear in sequence.

They are endowing themselves with a slowly approaching despair.

I couldn’t help but think so.

“This is an unexplored territory… Why is this place in a city on the periphery… “

In the meantime, Iona writes down what she saw and felt in her notebook.

These monsters did not arise naturally.

Something causes the plant to be deformed or deformed seeds are sown.

It will grow from there.

Regeneration is possible because it is connected to the leyline of the land itself.

If you think so, there must be a body that creates them around here.

“… But the problem is… That you don’t know how strong the main body will be…”

Iona muttered as she organized her thoughts.

Seeing Iona like that, Ruba sighed and stood up first.

“I never thought I would die like my master’s enemy.”

“It’s not confirmed that you’re going to die yet, right? Let’s go a little further. It’s definitely bigger… No. My colleague will be looking for us.”

“…”

Ruba lowered her head for a moment.

Whether Iona’s words are true or not.

It was clear that Eustes would not seek him out.

“Are your companions… Strong enough to come down here and save us all?”

“…That’s me too. I can’t give you a definite answer.”

Iona thinks of the previous fight.

Head bear.

The figure of Cleon who did not back down at all even against the beast and fought on an equal footing using only swordsmanship.

Rather, the appearance of enjoying a fight with someone on an equal footing was similar to that of his adoptive father, ‘Talchek’.

“He… Can be trusted.”

That’s why I answered like that.

Even Iona didn’t know how much Cleon’s power was.

But if he is of the same kind as his father his.

I can believe it.

So judged.

“…”

Seeing Iona’s expression like that, Ruba was silent for a moment.

“Is that so.”

It didn’t leave any particular impression, but the voice sounded somewhat lonely.

Iona also stood up without saying anything further.

At that time-

Thump… Thump…

Something approaching, shaking the ground.

The two of them shrank from the goose bumps running through their bodies.

It was magic power.

The presence of a strong man who puts pressure on the things around him just by being there.

What appeared as it slowly walked out of the view hidden by the trees.

It was a plant golem.

[KUrrrrAAA!]

Its size is about 5m. One arm or one leg, or the size of a giant.

Of course, it doesn’t look like Rubera’s magic sword will get stuck in this guy’s torso.

If Rubera doesn’t block it in front of her, she can’t even create a scroll of fire magic herself.

That monster was the ‘death’ itself of the two.

However.

The two clenched their teeth at the same time.

There’s still too much to do to collapse here. Thought at the same time.

“Can you write while scrolling?”

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

Ruba laughed for the first time at Iona’s joke.

“You can’t stop him from the front. He runs up and down the trees to get you on your nerves and pruning branches.”

“How possible?”

“…Two minutes.”

Stamina to the limit.

The overwhelming power car.

Being able to move even for 2 minutes in that situation showed Ruba’s potential her, but.

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

Iona quietly checks her remaining paper and ink and nods her head.

“Yeah. It’s impossible.”

A clear declaration of abandonment.

Even Ruba opened her eyes wide as if she was a little surprised by that statement.

“Are you giving up here? The momentum from a moment ago.”

“No. What I said was unreasonable was when I used `Scroll`.”

“…Then?”

Iona looked down at her hand her for a moment before slashing her arm with the dagger.

Once again, her blood her, containing her divine magic, pours into the bottle.

When she handed Rubera the bottle, which filled up in an instant, Iona stumbled to see if her anemia had come.

The healing magic stopped the blood, but it was no different from using too much.

“…The bottle’s blood… On the sword…”

Iona muted in a quiet, feeble voice.

Ruba supported her as she stumbled and opened her eyes wide as she listened to her story of her.

“…Possible… Did you do it? That’s it?”

“Did you know… ? Paper is originally made from trees.”

After putting Iona, who smiled for a moment, leaning against her tree her.

Ruba opens the lid of her bottle and pours it into her own magic sword.

The illusion of feeling something like a throbbing… Throbbing… Pulse from the sword.

And if you put magical power on the sword, the blood stored in the demon sword won’t fall to the ground.

It remains clinging to the sword as it is.

All remaining magic power is used to maintain the strength of the legs and sword.

Before long, Ruba confronts the golem.

As soon as the golem sees Lubera, she tries to flatten him with her big arms.

A blow that makes the pillars of buildings fall from the sky.

Ruba quickly kicked off the ground and moved away from the golem’s arms.

What follows is a leap. Step on her arm her, climb on top of her, and swing her sword her.

In a way, he seems to have given up on everything.

She’s not looking for a vital spot, and neither is she trying to sever her joints.

All it did was scratch the shell with insufficient power.

The Plant Golem seemed to be annoyed by Ruba’s movements on her, but tried to hit Ruba with her other arm on her.

Ruba jumps up again, this time behind the golem.

After repeating this several times, sweat pours out of Ruba’s whole body her and her hide her becomes loose.

However, there is no damage to the golem.

Only her small wounds her and Iona’s blood that had been applied to them remained.

The golem, which had scratches all over its back, back of its head, and legs and arms, seemed to have gotten used to Ruba’s movements in her.

Aiming for a chance to land on the ground, I swung her fist her.

“Kuu…!!”

It prevents direct hits to the body quickly with the magic sword.

A body that is blown away by impact.

In the end, Lubera, exhausted from crashing into a tree, slowly drops her head.

Next moment.

Iona approached the golem’s leg, which was paying attention to Ruba, and caught it.

In her eyes her, the golden light of her divine magic her flashes for a moment.

“Activate…!”

With the keyword. Flames rise from Iona’s blood on the golem.

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

What Rubera inscribed on her golem’s body was the text of the incantation written on the scroll.

The outer surface of the golem was burned in an instant, and at the same time, the flames penetrated inside.

She knocked her huge body down on the spot.

“Haha…”

Anemia and fatigue. And the consumption of her mana attacked Iona’s whole body of her.

Even so, she managed to get close to Rubera and use recovery magic to erase the shock or damage she had just received.

“…The golem is…”

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

Ruba gave a small smile at Iona’s words to her.

“…Is that so.”

Like this one more time. Passed the crisis

However. The two knew

There is no next.

If this golem appears again.

We will end here

And. That dream becomes a reality right after.

Thump… Thump… Thump.

The vibrations of the earth coming from far away.

Iona draws her dagger once again.

But Ruba stopped Iona and stood up while supporting her body her with her magic sword her.

“It is suicidal to draw any more blood. Rest in peace.”

“…”

Rubera’s physical condition reached its limit.

Just standing there will probably feel like your whole body is weighed down.

And a plant golem that appears.

The moment after Iona and Ruba stood in their seats with the determination to pour in everything they had left.

“My dear, look at the majesty of the gods who were usurped from the heavens! This is the primordial door that begins the world!”

A magical chant resounding in the sky.

And a huge red magic circle covering her head.

When the magic circle drawn with something like a door literally opens.

From within, dozens, hundreds, thousands of flame spears appeared. It falls like rain.

“Prometheus Gate!”

Tier 4 magic used by those who have reached the level of a great wizard.

Flame magic that pierces the plant golem’s body and burns everything in an instant.

If Iona and Rubera look up at the same time.

Floating in the sky while aiming a cane.

I saw a red haired wizard.

“…Phew…”

She sighs quietly as she moves her hand.

Both Rubera and Iona are raised by floating magic.

“Miss Lyla Flamewatch…”

Iona silently looks at the person who saved her.

“Say hello later. You have to tell me about the magic later.”

“A while ago…? Ahh. That’s it. I see. More than that… Who is that person?”

“…Probably looking for another one. He’s the one who called me here.”

Iona nodded and looked at Rubera.

She was already completely exhausted and was close to passing out.

“Can we go to the mansion?”

“No. If you don’t know, this guy is out of the question.”

Lila speaks coldly, but Iona can’t help but nod her head.

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

“Thank you. Please do so.”

Lila quietly takes the two of them and flies through the sky.

At the same time, she summoned Cleon to tell him that she had found the two of them.

003

Temple of the city.

After the priests hastily treated the two injured who appeared suddenly.

Iona and Ruba quietly led their cured bodies outside the temple.

“…”

“…”

Awkward silence.

In unexplored territory, they joined forces to survive, but if you think about it carefully, the two were still enemies.

However, right after going through that kind of thing, I don’t feel like raising my voice here at all.

“Today’s work… Let’s bury each other.”

Iona was the first to speak.

Then Rubera nods her head too.

“I think it’s better that way. We’ll be enemies anyway.”

At Rubera’s words, Iona also nodded her head.

But before parting.

Iona said she couldn’t stand it.

“Your handwriting… It was written with a demonic sword. I could definitely read it. I’m sure the handwriting would be prettier.”

“…What are you talking about?”

“No. I just thought I would like to read your writing or sentence.”

With pure sentiment, Iona goes back to the lodging where her Talcheck will be waiting.

With an expression that Ruba did not understand her reason for her, she looked behind him for a while …

It was to move her steps to the marquis’s mansion where her master would be.

City ​​at night.

A silver-haired girl shining in the moonlight

The black-haired girl walking in the shadow avoiding even the moonlight

It stood in the black and white with ambiguous boundaries.