Chapter 894 – What She Protects

000

＂… This is complete. Magic circle for transference. I hope it works properly…”

Cleon drew a large magic circle on the ground using the chalk he had brought with him in advance, then stood up.

Since it was a space surrounded by adamantite, I was worried about whether it would be possible with chalk, but there seemed to be no problem once it was completed.

The magic circle was drawn quite elaborately, and it was of a high level of completion for someone who was not a professional magician. If Lila was by her side, she would nod her head and praise Cleon.

Well, there is no Lila here…

“Is this a magic circle? Something… It’s full of curly letters…”

The only people who could speak to Cleon here were Bourbon, who didn’t even know about the magic ‘demon’, and Herty, who was completely blind.

Well, I didn’t draw it to get compliments. Still, when Cleon heard those words, he said, ‘Hmm…’ And became speechless for a moment.

It’s not that Cleon has a glass-like mentality or is so weak that he gets hurt by Bourbon’s words.

Everything she said about her curly letters, Cleon, who drew the magic circle, did not actually fully understand the meaning.

It’s just that she saw what Lila had drawn before, remembered it in her head, copied it, and wrote it down.

Cleon thought so as he carefully poured magic power into the magic circle.

Then, the magic circle succeeded in creating a passage of magic while emitting a soft light.

As if relieved, Cleon sighed and told the other two.

＂With this, if you use a magic circle anywhere else, you can return here and go outside. In order to achieve the conditions stated by ‘Thoughts’, it seems like it will be necessary to enter and exit several times.”

[Indeed… This is the recording tool used by humans, and the shape needed to use the technology called magic. I feel precision and sophistication.]

Although it may not have been heard directly by Cleon, the voice of ‘thought’ praising the magic circle he had drawn reached Herti’s ears.

＂Mr. Cleon. ‘Thinking’ is praising the magic circle drawn by Cleon.”

“Yeah, really? Thank you…”

[If you also have knowledge of magic. I believe that our contract with you is the right answer for us as well. It will be easier to achieve the promised conditions.”

Herty nods her head at ‘Thoughts’.

The condition presented by Adamantite’s will – ‘Thoughts’ was for humans to help them grow in other directions.

And for that, it was necessary to seek more stimulation, and in this underground world, there is a limit to accepting external stimulation.

Therefore, it is said that ‘thoughts’ need a body to go out to the ground.

Of course, in the process, I got into a bit of a creepy prank, so cold sweat drenched my back and forehead.

Herti made a promise to ‘Thoughts’ and said that in order to keep that promise, she needed to return to earth for a while.

What she wants is a movable body that looks like a human, but is made of adamantite.

So, so to speak, we need a ‘golem’ made of adamantite.

It’s easy to say in words, but as you know, adamantite is not an ordinary metal, and only craftsmen who have received the skills can process it.

For example, he is the best blacksmith in Asteris, and he is also a ‘manager’ who has the seal that allows him to enter this mine.

Moreover, the mass of adamantite needed to create that body is a gigantic adamantite containing ‘thoughts’ pulsing like a heart in the center of the cavity in front of you.

If you make a mistake while handling it, it is not surprising even if a major accident occurs.

Even considering that the principle of adamantite explosion is the proliferation of adamantite consumed by magic, and that ‘thought’ can suppress it to some extent, it was clear that it was a very difficult request.

However, if you don’t do it.

If she does not repay the faith she has received from her, she will not keep her promise.

This is to prevent the relationship between the two races, which could have ended peacefully at best, from facing catastrophe.

In order to prepare, the three first needed to return to Asteris.

Moreover, ‘Thoughts’ said that she had already granted their request first.

In other words, it is said that adamantite was harvested from the spirit veins and the roots of the sacred tree.

That means that there are now no obstacles for Kuon and Tokoyo to purify the spirit vein with the sacred tree.

There was a need to hurry back to Asteris and confirm the facts.

Herti is grabbed by Bourbon’s hand, and the figure drawn by Cleon rises above her magic circle.

If you use this magic circle, you will be able to move in and out easily, so next time you won’t have to go through dark passages like this one.

In order to use transfer magic in an underground mine surrounded by adamantite, you still need trust and a promise that the adamantite will not prey on your magic power.

“Then. I’ll start.”

“Yes. … Then, please wait, I will definitely keep my promise to Mr. ‘Thoughts’.”

[We will be waiting here in anticipation of your return.]

When Herty, who nodded her head at Cleon’s words, spoke like that, the silver light surrounding her sparkled as if she believed her, and she sent her three people off.

And after a while, the transfer magic circle under your feet begins to glow, along with the feeling that the surrounding space is distorted…

The party left the underground mine and returned to Asteris in an instant.

001

Shuung, Cleon heard the familiar sound of magic disappearing.

After the dizzying change of scenery was over, the scene unfolding before my eyes had changed from the silver cavity to somewhere else.

And shake it! When the sound is heard, Cleon turns his eyes to the side.

＂Ugh… Is this what warfare means…?＂

Bourbon was there, kneeling with his hands on the gravel floor, as if feeling dizzy from an unfamiliar sensation.

“It’s like that for everyone when they experience transference magic for the first time. You get used to it after using it a few times. “Is Herti okay?”

“Yes. I’m fine. “I’m usually strong against things like dizziness.”

Herti nods her head in agreement, and Cleon gives a small smile as if he is glad.

And then she extended her hand to Bourbon, who had fallen down, and helped her up.

“Well, whatever, it’s okay. I can wake up alone.”

Her face blushed slightly as she looked at Cleon’s hand, but her arms soon lost strength, and she slapped her butt again.

Then, ugh. He grabbed Cleon’s hand as if he was embarrassed and had no choice, and said, “Stop,” And got up.

And, Cleon held her slightly below her shoulders to prevent her from falling again.

“You should do this to Hertie, not me… No, you are already doing this.”

Bourbon fanned her face with her hand, cooling her red face.

＂Cleon, where have we moved…?＂

After hearing Herti’s words, Bourbon looked around as if he was finally going to live, and she found herself in the garden of the mansion, a gravel yard.

In the corner of the yard, there was a cage that looked like a large iron cage, and inside it were toys that someone had left behind after playing with them, and soft cushions and blankets were laid out like a bed.

Needless to say, it was the cage of Sasha’s cute partner Gryphon – ‘Gonzales’.

“It’s the garden of the merchant’s mansion where we’re staying. Lila put Jeon Yi-yong’s ‘coordinates’ here.”

When using a dimensional transfer door, it was necessary to aim for the location with these coordinates in order to prevent the destination from being disturbed and to increase the safety of the transfer.

And since the coordinates that Lila had engraved in Asteris were in this garden, the three naturally moved there.

“So, it’s a safe place… Haha, let’s take a break.”

Bourbon was relieved that he was able to get out safely from the stuffy and dangerous basement, and quickly took off the protective clothing he had on his body and left it in the garden.

One of the reasons for raising her discomfort index was the fact that she had absorbed the corrosive liquid of the worm mole and had become smelly, wet and heavy.

“Every time I enter a mine with you, my protective clothing gets damaged one by one.”

When Bourbon talks while stepping on the hardwood floor, Cleon answers while scratching his head.

＂Because the work I would go into is, that is, dangerous work…＂

When Cleon responded to Bourbon’s words like that, she snorted as if she was happy and what she said was good.

If you take off the completely half-ruined protective clothing, you will be revealed to be wearing full body pantyhose and the black, tight-fitting underwear you saw before.

I’m a little curious as to how on earth they wear that outfit that covers everything from the bottom of the neck to the ankles. Even more than that.

＂…＂

As expected, Bourbon’s body, which cannot be seen in his usual loose clothing, is revealed.

The two huge peaks under her shoulders and the abs that stick together due to sweat, revealing the silhouette.

When I held the cloth around her chest and fluttered it, the heat built up inside seemed to leak out like steam.

Bourbon’s attire as he trudges into the living room of the mansion where Cleon and his party are staying would be extremely irritating to any man.

Cleon engraved the character ‘tolerate’ in his heart and looked away so as not to react.

＂Cleon, no beer~?＂

As she sat down on her sofa and raised her voice, Herty sighed, as if she could imagine what Bourbon looked like.

“Bourbon… I’m not done yet.”

“Ugh, it’s okay, just a little bit! To me, alcohol is like fuel to move the body!”

If her body is truly affected by alcohol, it would be better for her to seek treatment from a professional.

Hearing Bourbon whine, Cleon couldn’t help but sigh like Herty just before her.

“First, let’s go inside, Herty. You, too, should take a little rest like Bourbon.”

And then, she led Herti by her hand, and with her went up to her living room, where her Bourbon entered first-

At that time, Cleon felt something strange.

＂…?＂

The surrounding scenery was the same as usual, but something was different from usual.

When he thought about it that way, Cleon realized that the surroundings were very quiet.

There is only one cause.

The only person who can faintly sense the presence of people in her mansion is ‘Lilim’, who is sleeping in her own room.

Caliburn and Galatea also went into a resting dormant state and were recovering their magic, so it was natural that they did not come out.

However, except for those three, there was no one else in the house, including Sasha and Amelia, who had fainted from the fatigue of the activity.

“Where has everyone gone?”

They returned to the garden instead of the entrance, and I think they should have realized it when no one reacted in surprise, and Cleon gave his voice to Lila and Sasha through imprinting.

[Sasha, Lila. I came back to the mansion, where is everyone? There is no one in the mansion…]

Then, almost immediately, a voice flew into Cleon’s ears.

[Mr. Cleon, now! Come outside quickly! Shinmok! The sacred tree is in great condition!]

[There is no way you would miss this rare phenomenon and stay at home! You too, come outside quickly!]

… Thanks to the two voices entering my head at the same time, I couldn’t understand them properly, but I knew well that they were telling me to go outside in an excited state.

Cleon sighed and spoke to the two people in the living room.

“I guess the other guys are outside. “I’ll go out and check.”

“Is that so? Then, I’ll join you too… What about Bourbon?”

＂I pass~ I want to rest here~＂

As Bourbon said that, she was lying on her back on the sofa.

Because her body was small, the sofa was almost like a bed.

Have you forgotten that this is someone else’s house… I guess it’s good.

Leaving Bourbon alone, Cleon carefully took Herti’s hand and led her out of the mansion.

Then, a voice that seemed to be calling them ‘Y-Oong’ was heard from in front of the door.

＂Oh, Bahamut.＂

Cleon happily called the guy’s name.

＂Bahamut, did you wait?＂

＂Hey-ong.＂

The sound of a cat meowing as if to say yes.

I guess he felt that Herti had returned and came here to wait.

As expected, he is a smart guy.

Then, let’s leave Herti’s guidance to him.

While saying that, I was about to let go of Herti’s hand, but Bahamut suddenly jumped up.

It was an excellent jumping ability for a person of his size, but as if jumping alone wasn’t enough height, he grabbed Cleon’s clothes, climbed up, and got on top of Cleon’s shoulder.

＂Wow…! What are you doing?”

＂Meow.＂

Bahamut was left still hanging on Cleon’s shoulder.

This guy… If I guide Herti instead, does he pass it on to me, so he doesn’t have to walk separately?

When Cleon looked at Bahamut while thinking that, the guy hanging on his shoulder rubbed his soft head against his cheek, as if to make sure he didn’t misunderstand.

＂Golgolgol…＂

＂Ugh…＂

Due to his cuteness, Cleon had no choice but to accept his foolishness without even realizing it.

Cats were cowardly creatures whose actions were forgiven thanks to their cuteness.

＂Cleon? “Is Bahamut rude?”

“Oh, no. It looks like he wants to get some rest too… Now, it looks like other people are waiting outside. Let’s go there.”

Cleon said so, carrying Bahamut on her shoulder and holding Herti’s hand and leading her.

Every time she walked, the sound of Bahamut’s bell hanging on her shoulder rang in her ears, making her feel as if she had become a cat guiding Herti.

The two walked past the mansion built on the company’s private property to the front yard of the building where the company’s office is located, where Herti always sits to do work.

Then, a rumbling sound was heard from outside, and Cleon felt a strange pounding in his heart.

“Is this… People gathered in front of the building?”

“I think so. For some reason, I can’t see it clearly from here… Let’s go a little further outside.”

Herti nodded her head as if she understood Cleon’s words, and went straight through the main gate of the store to the street of Asteris, which was hidden by a wall.

Then, there were people there, like them, who had returned home under the guidance of the government forces and then walked outside again.

And they were all standing in the distance, looking in one direction.

Everyone was raising their heads slightly and looking high, so Cleon followed suit and raised his head.

In the distance, the huge sacred tree standing in the center of Asteris was shining with bright green light.

＂This is…!?＂

“Ah, Cleon!”

Cleon, who was looking surprised, heard a familiar girl’s voice in his ears and turned his gaze towards it.

Then, all of Cleon’s group, including Amelia, who had called him, stood on the side of the road, mingling with the crowd of people on the street to look at the sacred tree.

Even Anatis.

＂Everyone… Were you outside to see the sacred tree?＂

“That’s right. Everyone on the streets of Asteris is like that, right? Whether it’s because they’re worried about the new tree or because they’re looking forward to the flowers blooming, I don’t think this phenomenon has ever happened before.”

Lila answered Cleon’s question like that and her eyes were sparkling.

Beatrix, who was standing behind Lila, nodded her head and explained to Cleon what had happened on the ground.

“It was about an hour after my senior went to the mine. Suddenly, it felt like the ground shook with a thud, and then people on the street started murmuring.”

“At first, I thought it was an earthquake or something else by the exiled church. The sacred tree is suddenly shining, right? I thought you guys did something and came out to see what happened.”

Cleon nods his head at the words of the two people.

＂Has the work at the mine been resolved well?＂

Silently, when Anatis asked him, Cleon nodded to her question.

＂The last factor that was preventing the purification of the spirit vein has been resolved. Now, there will be no problem.”

Sasha, who heard the answer from the side, also smiled kindly with a relieved expression.

＂I see… Then, Mr. Kuon’s training is also being rewarded…! It went really well…!”

＂Beep!＂

When Sasha was happy, González was next to her, raising her arms and raising her voice, as if she was happy too.

＂… Over there-＂

At that time, Cleon’s hand holding him trembled slightly, and he heard Herti’s voice calling him.

Looking back, Herti seemed a bit restless, repeatedly opening and closing her mouth towards Cleon.

It’s as if he’s a little worried about whether it’s okay to say something or whether it’s okay to ask for something.

Because Herti looked a bit new like that, Cleon didn’t know why she did that at first.

Is it because she wants to go to the bathroom, but she is holding her hand…

After thinking such rude thoughts, Cleon suddenly came to her senses and turned her head to look at her sacred tree.

“… Haha. Okay.”

Then, after giving her a small smile as if she knew, Cleon closed his eyes and connected his magical power to Herty’s body through her hands.

What is used is the ‘sharing of senses’ magic.

It was originally a magic to show what one was seeing to someone who was far away and connected through a magical passage.

In Herti’s case, it was okay just to share the sight Cleon was seeing in front of her.

＂… Are you ready?＂

＂… Yes.＂

Cleon opened his eyes slowly and carefully so as not to startle Herti from the sudden light.

Herty’s body trembled for a moment as if she was startled by the light that leaked in between them, but then Cleon wrapped her hand as if to reassure her.

He took a deep breath and nodded.

Soon, when Cleon’s eyes fully opened, all the scenes he saw were conveyed to Herti.

The wide-open streets of Asteris, and a huge tree shining in the distance.

The crowd of people standing were praying toward the sacred tree with hope and anticipation.

Please, this year.

This time, I hope the sacred tree of Asteris will bloom.

That feeling seemed to be conveyed through the people’s expressions, so Herti unconsciously squeezed the hand that was not holding Cleon’s hand.

Just like them, like putting your hands together and praying.

＇Please… Please grant the blessings of the earth to everyone living on this land…! ＇

In Herti’s heart, a desperate cry rang out.

Who is this prayer aimed at? Is it the sacred tree, or is it Tokoyo and Kuon who are purifying the sacred tree?

Or, she prayed, thinking that if there really was such a thing as God, it would be nice to at least reach him.

Then.

Her heart pounded loudly.

For a moment, it felt like I was surrounded by silence, to the point where I couldn’t hear all the surrounding voices.

＂Oh, hey! Over there…!”

Someone who broke the silence spoke out like that.

He raised his hand, extended his finger, and pointed in a direction.

At the end was a sacred tree that was constantly emitting a beautiful emerald light in the distance.

The light of the sacred tree does not stay at the roots and trunk, but travels up the trunk and continues to the branches.

And, as it begins to spread from branch to branch, and from branch to leaf-

There, a flower bud like a jewel made of light is created.

＂Oh…!＂

＂This… Really…!＂

What I saw when I was young, what I saw when I was young.

The scene symbolizing that this land was receiving the blessings of the divine tree was about to unfold before people’s eyes once again.

The branches of the sacred tree spread wide enough to cover the sky.

In folklore, flower buds of magic sparkle in various colors among the leaves that are like the ceiling of the world, rising high as if connecting the earth and the heavens where the gods live.

When the flower buds, which are like the symbol of Asteris, fill the branches above your head-

The next moment, a refreshing breeze rushes through the streets of Asteris, passing by the sides, faces, and hair of everyone standing on the street.

It seemed as if an invisible, divine tree fairy had passed through the people.

And-

Finally, the moment that everyone in Asteris has been waiting for has arrived.

In response to the blowing wind, it opened its body and bloomed, like flower buds on sacred trees bursting.

＂…＂

The people on the street were speechless for a moment as it was a fantastic sight that could only be seen in dreams or in the legendary paradise.

It seemed as if some kind of energy was flowing not only from the sacred tree flowers, but also from the floor where they were standing.

The flowers and plants blooming on the streets seemed to be regaining their health.

“It’s a flower…! Shinmok finally…! You have bloomed!”

“Ah…! You succeeded! Shamans! This year!

When the people’s voices resonate, everyone raises their hands and shouts of joy.

The shouts and laughter that seemed to carry away the entire Asteris echoed so loudly that it seemed as if they could even reach the distant kingdom.

＂…＂

Of course, they were not the only ones who were happy.

Of course, Cleon’s companions were there, and Cleon himself was the same.

I was relieved that I had finally achieved the true purpose of the Five Elements Festival, and at the same time, my heart warmed a little when I saw people being happy.

At that time, Cleon felt something fall on the back of his hand.

Not an empty hand – on top of the hand that is facing Herti.

When Cleon turned around to check the place, he didn’t have to lower his head to look at the hand.

I could tell what it was without even having to lower my head.

＂… Herti.＂

She was shedding tears between her unopened eyes.

The tears that flowed down her cheeks fell onto Cleon’s hand.

＂… I’m sorry…＂

For some reason, Herti apologized like that.

Through sharing her senses, he must have been able to see for himself what his own face was like.

So, for her sake, Cleon turned his head again and reflected the beautiful scenery of Asteris that she was looking at just a moment ago.

She had the right to witness this scene.

“Herti… This is the landscape of Asteris that you protected.”

If she hadn’t joined forces with Miyeom-gong to protect Cleon.

And even after that, she would have risked everything she had to help bring about this result.

A landscape that no one living in today’s Asteris could see, and would probably have disappeared beyond history.

The number of people who know about her efforts and everything that has happened in Asteris so far may be just a handful.

However, Herti didn’t care about that.

Father and mother loved each other.

A person like her adoptive father and older sister lives there.

This place that I protected with my loved one.

Finally, this moment of salvation.

She was happier than anyone else that she was able to greet him with a smile even while shedding tears.