Chapter 758 – So That You Can Be Free

000

The inside of Ventuna’s mansion felt like some kind of art gallery or museum.

I don’t know if it’s her own hobby or her predecessor’s hobby, but in a space filled with various works of art and expensive-looking decorations, the sound of music from a magic disk containing masterpieces by high-level performers resonates softly. It was spreading

The sofa that rests on the hip is also a design that emphasizes aesthetic standards rather than functionality, even more so than the soft and comfortable sofa in the Flamewatch family’s mansion.

What was most noticeable was that statues of unusual shapes – statues that looked like armor but had no arms or legs – were erected throughout the house.

What’s unusual is that instead of human arms, it has arms shaped like blades.

The group seemed to be a little dizzy from the series of items that only eccentrics or rich people who like to show off would like.

This was because I didn’t know how much I would have to pay if I accidentally damaged the furniture.

In such a situation, the only person who looked normal was Laila, leaning back in her chair, crossing her legs and glaring at Ventuna.

Seeing Ventuna wearing neat clothes and sitting on her sofa with the correct posture in an attitude of accepting her guests, one is confused as to which one is hers.

In that situation, Ventuna was talking to three people except Lila.

She said, “There is no need to be so nervous. This is just a meeting to decide the future of this rural village.”

＂Heung…＂

In response to Ben Tuna’s words, Laila spoke with her arms crossed and her snort

“So? What does this information about the Flamewatch family key mean? If you used that as bait to bring me in, I won’t forgive you for lying.”

“Lie? I don’t lie about important things like that. Trust is important for merchants.”

Ventuna leisurely accepted Laila’s words and continued.

“Also, the expression ‘key to the Flamewatch family’ may be a bit ambiguous. That key is most important to the fate of our four great families and, by extension, this entire village. ＂

“It was my grandfather who hid the key.”

“The previous Flame Watch was not only your grandfather, but he was also the chief of this village, and the teacher and leader of the four generations of families. So, the legacy he left behind is also the secret wish for all of us.”

When they fiercely clashed with each other as if they had no intention of giving in and did not back down even an inch, Cleon clapped his hands and burst the balloon of tension between the two.

“You guys. If you’re going to fight like that, is there a need to sit down and be polite like this?”

＂…＂

＂…＂

As if they knew what Cleon meant, when both Lila and Ben Tuna closed their mouths for a moment, it was Ben Tuna who sighed first.

＂It’s just like he said, there may be some bad feelings between us, but let’s put it to rest for now. For all of us.”

“… Okay… But before that, I want to ask you one thing.”

Lila nods her head, but changes the subject as if she’s still having trouble.

“How did you find information about the key?”

Lila herself tried to find traces of the key left behind by her grandfather while conducting research at her academy.

The reason the key does not appear in front of her is probably because her own skills are still lacking.

Thinking like that, she thought that if she walked the path of magic, taking a step forward than yesterday – a few hours ago, even a second ago – she would be able to follow the last footsteps left by her grandfather.

However, it seemed like it was not easy for Lila to understand that Ventuna, who had remained in the village, had found the information about her key before she could.

To Laila’s question, Ventuna answers her by brushing her hair.

“I’m not the only one who found information about the key.”

＂… Then?＂

“Petrus, Aqua, and I. The three of us worked together to find it.”

The expressions of the two people except Ventuna quickly pass through Cleon’s mind.

Aqua said that she was the person who was planning to become the best water magician in the town, but according to Fromme, she was someone who couldn’t use magic properly.

“Cooperation among the successors of the three major families, excluding Flame Watch…”

“Okay. While you went to the academy to obtain the key, studied, became an adventurer, and went on adventures… Those of us who were left behind searched for traces of your grandfather that remained in this village. And as a result, we found information about where the key was.”

When Ventuna spoke like that and took a sip of her tea, showing her composure, Laila was speechless for a moment.

Was it embarrassment or doubt?

However, after he calmed down a bit, he spoke with a cool expression.

＂You mean you found the location of the key?＂

＂Yes.＂

“But then, do you have the key?”

＂No.＂

At Ventuna’s short answer, Lila frowns and leans back on her sofa as if she understands.

“… Aha. Something like that. Guys, I know where the keys are, but I can’t afford to go get them. Right? “

＂That attitude is a little annoying. That’s right. It’s in a place we can’t reach. So, right now this information is only useful to you. Laila Flame Watch.”

Ventuna speaks with a bitter expression, but Lila also sighs as if she is a little relieved.

“… So? Where is the key?”

“First – the key is not physical, it is conceptual. It is an item that can be used to lift the ‘seal of the mansion’ left behind by your grandfather.”

“I know that much.”

It also means that if the seal is released, a door that cannot be opened in the mansion will be opened.

＂It’s a space where the magician’s research is concentrated. How much is it worth? If it falls into the hands of someone who has meaning, that would be great – but if it falls into the hands of someone who abuses its value, it will definitely cause a great disaster.”

“I know such obvious things without having to explain them to you.”

When Lyla looked at Ventuna, asking if she was making a fool of herself, she shrugged her shoulders and floated a magical crystal over her own hand.

Lila narrows her eyes as she immediately recognizes that it is not her own magic, but something she received from outside.

＂… Coordinates.＂

＂That’s correct. I can’t help but be impressed by your magic skills.”

When her Ben Tuna nods her head as if she is right, the coordinates disappear from her Ben Tuna’s hand after a while.

“The key you want is hidden in these coordinates. Of course, the gap between two dimensions is a very dangerous place.”

＂A gap in another dimension…＂

Cleon frowns for a moment at Ventuna’s words.

Are wizards destined to have to touch such a dangerous space?

But Lila holds out her hand as if she doesn’t care.

It meant handing over the coordinates to yourself.

However, Ventuna looked at Laila’s outstretched hand for a moment, then spoke to her with a grin.

“Let’s make a deal. Lila. I will hand over these coordinates… You, hand over the Flame Watch mansion you inherited to me.”

“Under!? What kind of nonsense are you talking about!?”

Ventuna suddenly spoke, and not only Lila but also her colleagues could not help but look surprised at her request.

“I think this key is worth it, don’t you?”

“You… Haha… No, let’s hear the reason first. What are you lacking that you need the Flamewatch family mansion? Anyway, if you don’t have the key, you can’t open the seal inside.”

When Laila says that, Ben Tuna shrugs her shoulders and answers her question.

“Of course, I want to keep the items inside the seal, but there is something in that mansion that is more precious to me than anything else. Should I say the key is the second priority?”

“There is something more precious to you than the things inside the seal… I don’t know why it’s in our mansion. “Not in a mansion.”

“Ah. Is it because of those kids who moved in yesterday?”

When Ventuna nods her head in understanding, Lila frowns. But she soon answered, “So?”

Then, Ventuna smiled and spread her arms as if there was no problem.

“Then. In addition to the key’s coordinates, I will give you this mansion you are in now – Gailgazer’s mansion. If that were the case, it would be more than enough change, right? No. Rather, it seems like they pay a lot more here?”

As Ventuna said this, she stood up, pointed out various art pieces hanging in the living room, and started talking about their prices.

If each one was Elessia, there would be no shortage of housing for ordinary people to buy.

But Lila interrupts her story in the middle.

“This kind of mansion with bad taste has no value to me.”

“Then I will build a new building according to your taste.”

＂You are persistent…＂

At her Ventuna’s words, Layla stood up from her seat as well, this time flipping her own bangs on her side.

“What is the real purpose? Why do you want the mansion that my grandfather left behind? What is more important than the secret wish of the key? “Didn’t merchants never lie?”

“Hehe. But being a merchant is a profession where the more you deceive someone, the more you profit. And Lila, you are not your ‘commercial customer’.”

Ventuna chuckles with her mischievous expression and covers her mouth before laughing, then she wipes the smile off her face and speaks.

＂Flame Watch – No, the secret wish of the village called Helix is ​​to solve the problem of that magic tower. But that dream is never easy. Your grandfather couldn’t achieve that even in his entire life. Even if you follow in his footsteps, I’m not sure if you can achieve it using all of your remaining lifespan.”

＂…＂

Lila listened to her vent and slowly lowered her raised finger, concentrating on what she was saying.

“If you don’t achieve everything… What will you do? Lila. Again, like your grandfather did, are you going to leave your research to your daughter, son, granddaughter, or grandson, and to the next generation?”

It is a genealogy that leads to a great path that wizards’ families often have.

And in order to achieve that wish, wizards leave behind descendants and research, and entrust their dreams to them again.

But it is a dream and a hope that remains in the blood. And – for some, it was a curse or shackles.

“You can’t be free like that. That you have to cling to that long-held wish for the rest of your life, and that if you fail, you have to pass the burden on to someone else as if passing the baton. Gailgazer is a family that governs and protects the wind element. The will of the wind is the will of freedom. Freedom is not bound by anything. Even if it’s a mission and a secret wish that flows in one’s blood.”

＂… You- Then… ＂

“Okay. When I get my hands on your family’s mansion – I will erase it from this town. As a result, it is not only me who becomes free, but also Petrus, Aqua, and Lila. You too.”

When she spoke of her obsession with Ventuna’s freedom and all she could do for him, Lila would look at her blankly.

Should I say that what she said was so absurd, that she was proudly dumbfounded by her grandfather’s dream of trying to rid the village of a path that would exclude the potential threat of the Magic Tower?

Or maybe she’s deceiving herself, but it’s because she says she has feelings for him.

“Think about it, Lila. If you give up that wish, you too can become free. There is no need to be tied to this town called Helix, and she can go wherever she wants, whether it’s the Academy or the King, and study the magic she likes as much as she wants. No, if you want, you can go see the end of the continent with your fellow adventurers and climb the Sage’s Tower.”

Such freedom.

Become a soul who can do whatever you want and is not bound by anything – even those you love don’t have to be caught up in her restraints.

When Lila heard Ben Tuna’s words, to be honest, her heart was a little shaken.

That is, rather than being free herself, if something happens that requires her to remain in Helix for the sake of her family’s wishes-

And, if you ask them to join you, Kuon, Sasha, and Cleon may also stay together.

“I think the best choice is to leave the mansion to me… And for you to be liberated.”

In that case… Wouldn’t he be tying himself down for her own wish?

Shouldn’t we just let them go?

It’s a stupid question, I can never be separated from Cleon and her companions.

They are no longer just colleagues or friends; they are no different from family.

Leaving your family – being physically distant is like breaking your heart.

In Lila’s heart, she didn’t want to experience that kind of pain.

Even though she was selfish, she thought it would be better to die than to be separated from them.

But at the same time-

Her memories of her grandfather, who was her only family – her mansion with traces of her life gone – will disappear from the world.

And, all of her grandfather’s research is denied, and is scattered beyond the fog – into a meaningless void, nowhere in history.

As much as she cherishes the present, she also cherishes her past.

And-

The next moment, the ends of Lyla’s hair fluttered, and she instantly turned into flames, and Lyla looked at Ventuna once again with her tightly clenched fists.

Her eyes – blue sapphire-like eyes, were shining as if they were filled with red flames.

“And most of all, I don’t like how you said it would be impossible and how I forced you to give up! This mint chocolate girl!”

When Laila raises her voice, raising her middle finger, Ventuna blinks her eyes wide in surprise.

But soon, her face became cold, and she slowly raised her hand.

“I guess that means the consultation is a breakdown.”

＂…!＂

And, as soon as her hand was raised, the strong magical power of the wind seemed to envelop the entire mansion.

＂This amount of magical power… Is not normal! You installed a magic core throughout the mansion!”

When Lila looked around, she saw emerald-like magic stones shining all over the ceiling, floor, and walls, and she was pouring out endless wind magic within them.

“It was a bit expensive, though. Because I need this level of preparation to deal with a true genius like you!”

The next moment, what that magical energy was flowing into were the statues of unusual shapes standing around.

When the magical power of wind is absorbed into the bodies of the statues, a green gust of wind swirls above their heads, and they erect legs made of wind and begin to move on their own.

And – their arms, which looked like blades, were imbued with the magic of the wind, and they truly became blades of wind pressure, sharply aiming at the party.

＂A familiar created by binding the wind spirit and giving it shape-＂

＂Legion x Procella [Force of the Storm]. Even if it means using my skills, I will try to stop you.”

Saying that, when the blade is aimed at Cleon and his group, Sasha grabs the dagger and Cuon grabs the staff and prepares for battle.

And Lila, too, took out her magic wand from her subspace and glared at Ventuna.

“Exercising your skills? Do you think you have some common skill?”

As Laila said that and began to raise her magic power, a flaming magic circle began to spread beneath her feet.

If the temperature in the room rose evenly in an instant, that alone weakened the wind.

Ben Tuna also knew that her compatibility was at a disadvantage to her.

However, strong winds can extinguish the flames.

If you prepared this much – at least as much as she did –

But then.

Bentuna felt that her own body was not moving.

It felt as if her huge chains were constricting her own body, and she was in a head-to-head eye battle with her Medusa.

Where on earth does that enormous pressure and survival come from?

What Ventuna witnessed was moving her eyes instead of her neck being fixed and motionless.

It was Cleon, who didn’t even put his hand on her sword, but was glaring at her and exuding intimidation.

And the dark magic radiating from that body was what immobilized Ventuna’s body, which had to move in order to give orders to her familiars.

Without even drawing her sword – stopping her own movements with this much magic?

Ventuna was confident that she had prepared her double and triple so that she could subdue Lila whenever she came to her own mansion.

Even if the familiar army is defeated, this mansion will remain as a prison to imprison Lila.

However, the premise was wrong because Lila, who thought she would be alone, had been wrong since she brought her companion.

And Ventuna had completely miscalculated the variable called Cleon.

With her body dripping with cold sweat, Ventuna closed her mouth for a moment, turning silent.

Soon, she slowly drains her strength and magic from her body.

Then, the familiars that were about to attack her returned to the statue, and Lila looked at her in a bit of confusion as she suddenly seemed to have given up on her battle in a situation that was close to the point.

“… Let’s stop. 4:1, I’m at a huge disadvantage. I was wrong.”

＂…＂

When Laila gives her a suspicious look, as if he is trying to lie to her and attack her when she is off guard, Ventuna raises her arms and assumes her surrender posture.

And, with her surrender, all the magic cores installed in the mansion exploded and lost their power.

＂Are you serious?＂

“I’m serious, I’m serious. In the first place, I won’t be able to stop you with my skills.”

When she spoke, clearly acknowledging her defeat, Cleon sighed and nodded.

As for Cleon, if she collided with Lila in this narrow space, it could also cause damage to Sasha and Kuon who were close to her.

Lila’s magic is limited by all magic other than Avatar magic, and her firepower is also enormous, so it was difficult to distinguish between her enemies.

If Lila, who had blood on her head, didn’t pay attention to her surroundings, if she made a mistake, both of them would get hurt – Ventuna would definitely die.

Thinking that it was fortunate that he was able to stop the fight before it started, Ventuna looked at Cleon.

Soon, she smiled and bowed her head, expressing her gratitude.

Perhaps she seemed to have sensed Cleon’s intentions to some extent.

Kuon and Sasha also sighed and sighed as their tension eased.

“… So? Do you still want our family’s mansion?”

Laila spoke as if the story of the transaction was not over yet and Ben Tuna shook her head.

“I’ll give up on that. It’s okay to say that I’m your substitute, but there’s something I’d like your cooperation in doing by handing over the coordinates.”

＂… What would you like us to cooperate with? What is it again?”

Lila must have thought that she would ask for something strange again, as she placed both hands on her waist and said, ‘Really…’.

But- after that, what came out of Ventuna’s mouth was a shocking story.

＂… Is that really true?＂

So much so that she asked again, as if to confirm it.

Then, Ventuna nodded and repeated what she had just said.

“Okay. Aqua and Petrus are looking for the key to liberate the Magic Tower. And, just like me, the Flamewatch family’s mansion. If they knew you were away, they might have gone for the mansion by now.”

“You…! We thought it would be like that from the beginning!?”

When Laila said that, Ben Tuna shook her head.

“No, as I said before, my goal was to eliminate the secret garden itself. … For me, those two are a no-brainer. So, I want you to cooperate in stopping those two.”

“… Okay. Anyway, we have to go back to protect the mansion. It has to be that way.”

Cleon answered on behalf of Lila, and when she nodded, Lila also seemed to agree.

“Damn… Why are there so many guys targeting other people’s houses…!”

Lila raised her arms as if she was getting angry, and she was thinking about flying back to her mansion right now.

However, surprisingly, Cleon seemed a bit relaxed.

The reason is-

＇… Amelia, since there is Arnia in Lilim… It might be okay.’

It was trust in their power.