Chapter 12

Chapter 12

 

ONE DAY…

“Okay, I got the Holy Knight.”

“I don’t know about him…”

“Okay then! Time for judgment by Rimeydal the Creator.”

Having finished our morning work, my friends and I were playing a game in my private quarters in the main tower.

On the table between me and Sedam was a wooden board and small game pieces. It was a classic game in this world called War Board, similar to shogi or chess.

I silently renewed my vow to get my friends to play an RPG someday.

It was my turn.

I used my upside-down Priest to touch Sedam’s piece. Much like in shogi, the pieces lay flat on the board. Without a second of delay, Clara (our referee) checked the types of each piece and made a judgment.

“Margilus loses.” Clara solemnly announced her judgment and removed my Priest from the board.

“Ugh… Dammit. You tricked me.”

“Margilus? That’s unsportsmanlike.”

“Rimeydal preserve!”

I accepted her advice and uttered a phrase that was more or less equivalent to “god help me.”

I’d made a bad judgment call. If I lost with the Priest, that meant Sedam’s piece was either a General or Hero. Either way, I was in hot water, and his pieces were getting closer to my Holy City.

“Do you think I would lose so easily to a man who just learned War Board yesterday?” Sedam raised an eyebrow at me. That was his smug expression, and I’d seen it a lot lately.

“It’s not over yet.”

Sedam certainly was an intellectual, but considering we were just about equal in the game, he must not be that good. The evidence of that was in Clara’s sighs of resignation.

“As always, it’s painful to watch your War Board tactics.”

“Ha ha ha!” Mora laughed brightly. “Both Sedam and Mister Geo seem to be having fun, so what’s wrong with that?”

There was no way I could let myself lose in front of Mora, who’d busied herself with preparing sil tea.

“Now it’s my turn…that’s a Spy, right? I should get rid of it now.”

“Sedam wins…”

“Heh heh.”

Reyha clenched her fists. “My lord, you can still make a comeback!”

He spotted my trump card lurking near the enemy line. Reyha was desperately cheering me on from behind. I could see sweat on her brow. She was even more into the game than I was.

I held my staff to my cheek and pondered my next move, when…

“Lord Margilus! I have a report!”

The third dark elf sister, Gilma, burst into the room.

“What is it?”

“It’s…the warrior clan. The same detachment who came to the castle before… A man named Canberils is heading this way!”

“Huh?!”

The relaxed atmosphere suddenly grew ice-cold.

It was the warlord, Canberils. He was the one who suspected me of being an Epicenter and had held an inquisition. He’d left the castle to consult the clan’s Council of Elders for a verdict, and now he had returned.

 

***

 

“It’s been a while, wizard.”

A bitter voice resounded in the great hall of the main tower.

It was Warlord Canberils. As usual, he was dressed all in crimson with flashy accessories. He removed his devilish mask to show me his true face.

He had a painful expression, but there was no reaction from my Detect Enemy spell.

“Yes, I’m glad to find us both alive.” I nodded gracefully from my throne in the great hall. To my left and right stood Clara and Sedam, with Ild one step below them and Reyha waiting behind me.

The warrior clan stood in a position where I looked down on them. Beside Canberils were two guards, someone who covered their entire body with a hooded robe, and Lade. He was also a member of the warrior clan, but unlike his superior officer, his mouth was tight, and he looked irritated.

“The warchief and others you left behind really helped us out. Please accept my thanks.”

“I’m glad. We received those reports as well. Especially your work in Filsand. You did a lot of work there.”

He could only be talking about when I’d taken down the daemonic legion and daemonists. I’m sure he’d heard all about it from Lade, including that the daemonists knew my name from some sort of existence called the King of Daemons. That was the part that matched with the oracle’s prophecy. It was an explosion of suspicion.

“It was all thanks to the cooperation of your warchief and our allies. Now then…” Even though I was acting cool, I was actually feeling quite uneasy. I sensed nervous tension from Clara and the others as well. “Shall we get straight to business, warlord? You suspected me of being a daemon or an Epicenter…what was the result of the continued inquisition?”

“Our suspicions were indeed as you say.” Canberils dropped to one knee. The other warriors followed suit. “The conclusion of the warrior clan’s Council of Elders is that the probability of you being a daemon or a daemonist…is extremely low.”

When Canberils paused for a second while declaring the result, both Sedam and Clara let out sighs of relief. I felt the same way as them, but that didn’t mean our talks were over.

“So that means…what? I have not been completely cleared of these allegations?”

“Right. But we will not be looking into you any further. There is actually a separate issue.”

“You mean the oracle’s prophecy?”

“Precisely. In the five-hundred-year history of the warrior clan, the oracle’s prophecies have always proved true. And yet, now this strange circumstance has arisen. The issue is bigger than just whether she is right or wrong. If the daemonists have also been given your name in a prophecy…” Canberils’s stern expression hardened even more. He looked almost agonized. “The Council of Elders wants to find the cause of this phenomenon by any means necessary.”

“That makes sense…”

If it turned out the prophecies of the oracle the clan had followed for five hundred years were no longer reliable—or worse, of daemonic origin—the morale of the warrior clan would collapse.

“Right now, it is you, Lord Wizard, who sits at the center of this phenomenon. Therefore, I humbly ask: Will you help us?”

“Hmmm…”

I had been thinking about it since the commotion at Filsand.

In the end, it seemed the interpretation of the term Epicenter had been the issue. In other words, maybe the term epicenter meant “a place that connects this world with another world.” If that was the case, then it would suggest that an Epicenter that transforms into a daemon nest like Diane’s mother, and my own Magic Gate—which connects to the power of chaos—were different expressions of similar powers.

“After causing us so much trouble, now you want us to cooperate? That’s a pretty selfish way to handle things,” Clara answered Canberils in a cold voice. She probably took my thinking for hesitation. But I had come to understand this atmosphere well now. She was just playing the role of bad cop.

“Yes, I understand that. We also must practice proper etiquette.” Canberils tried to continue matter-of-factly. “As such—”

The person concealed beneath robe and hood suddenly stood up. They stopped Canberils from standing with one hand.

They walked quietly toward me, lowered the hood, and removed their concealing robe.

“It is my pleasure to meet you for the first time, wizard.”

The speaker had a cool, soothing voice. Her long, black hair swayed as she bowed respectfully.

“I am the repository of our clan’s knowledge, the summation of all that was given to me by our mediums and leaders.”

She stood up and looked at me with big, green eyes.

She was a beautiful young woman with a slender body. The combination of her many-pleated red skirt and front-closing white jacket reminded me of a Japanese shrine maiden.

And that wasn’t all that was remarkable about her.

“Are you an elf? A true elf?” Sedam asked, stunned. Indeed, this “repository of knowledge” boasted pointy ears. Reyha was a dark elf, and I knew a bit about elves in this world, but I never thought I’d see one here.

“You are correct. This body was born of Rimeydal. However, I am of the second generation.”

“Just as I thought…” Sedam murmured.

Clara looked reverent. “So, they do exist…”

Judging from the attitudes of Sedam and Clara, true elves must have been much more uncommon than ordinary elves. Ild also looked fascinated, and Reyha was stiff as a stone.

I was awfully interested, myself.

“I’m surprised that an oracle would come on her own. We are grateful, but…are you the same oracle who received the prophecy?”

Sedam and the others were uncharacteristically flustered, so I took the role of speaking calmly.

“Please, call me a mystic,” the elf said, with a graceful smile.

Her appearance was that of a young woman, but the she spoke with the composure of someone much older. Given that she was an elf, I felt quite certain she was even older than she seemed.

“To answer your question…yes. I deeply apologize for the great inconvenience our shallow lapse has visited upon you.”

The oracle planted both knees upon the floor and bowed deeply, her hands on the ground in front of her. Behind her, Canberils, the two guards, and Lade did the same. I couldn’t get over her beauty. The whole spectacle of apology made me feel guilty. It was also shocking to see the huge clan members behind her behaving in such a way.

“Please stand, mystic. Everyone else, too. Honestly, I’d prefer an explanation over apologies, right now.”

“Your priorities are absolutely correct.” She spoke in a matter-of-fact manner, but there was something musical in her tone. Was it force of habit, as a TTRPG player, that made me want to trust everything a beautiful elf said?

I resolved to pay close attention.

 

***

 

“Aha! Trope alert! The beautiful elf maiden has arrived!”

“Yagi, did you think if you brought in a beautiful elf maiden, you’d be able to railroad us into a big, unreasonable fetch quest?”

“Hmm… Do you want to refuse her, then?”

“Of course not.”

Those were the days.

I flashed back to about twenty years ago when I was playing D&B. I’d forgotten exactly what kind of quest it was, but I’ll never forget Yagi’s smug face.

At the time, the fact that players always accept the requests of beautiful elves was almost part of the beauty of the form. How could we do anything else?

But now, actually faced with a real-life beautiful elf maiden…would I refuse her?

Well, of course not.

The oracle of the warrior clan, a true elf, she who was the repository of knowledge. This woman with three distinguished monikers was that enchanting.

She wasn’t just pretty, or cute. Her eyes, her voice, her desire to protect, her allure and knack for flattery, all stood out. She was the living definition of charm.

At my age, as an office employee, I had met many beautiful women while entertaining clients, but this oracle was on an entirely different plane of existence. If I hadn’t recalled Yagi’s smug face, I might have completely fallen for her at first sight, the way Sedam had, beside me.

Her enchanting voice drew us in. “In order to understand the circumstances behind this dreadful mishap, please allow me to explain what daemons and the warrior clan are in the first place. I think we should start there: with the true history long hidden to so many.”

This is not the time to get swept up in her voice… I felt a wave of nerves come over me and gulped. Focus on her words!

“I’m very interested. Please, tell us.”

“As you desire.”

 

***

 

The mystic spoke without hesitation, telling us the following story.

Daemons were the vanguards sent from another world, who crossed into this world through a gate called an Epicenter. The first Epicenter was born long, long ago from the heart of the Divine King, when he was drunk on despair and hatred.

In that distant age, a great hero had destroyed the Epicenter born from within the Divine King and defeated the countless daemons spawned from it. This hero’s power was granted to him by a legendary sage.

The sage granted the hero many boons. The divine legion, a holy sword, and an elf maiden. The divine legion were warriors to fight the daemons. The holy sword was a weapon with the strength to destroy an Epicenter. And the elf maiden sacrificed herself to give the hero and the divine soldiers great magic power.

After the battle, the hero abandoned his war with the daemons and served Shrendal. The divine legion hunted daemons under the guidance of the sage…and their descendants became known as the warrior clan.

The repository of knowledge was the daughter of the first-generation elf maiden, a woman not born, but made.

The sage granted the warrior clan many skills to fight the daemons. One of those was a ritual to communicate with the spirit of the first elf maiden to acquire prophecies of daemon behavior.

“To be precise,” the mystic told us, “this is a ritual to read the memory and consciousness of daemons from their corpses.”

We were silent.

What she’d told us in her sing-song voice were secrets that went all the way back to the very roots of this world.

I had already researched and asked people about the tale of the hero who’d foiled the first brood war, so I knew most of it. But this was the first I’d heard about the Divine King either becoming or creating an Epicenter, and of the sage. There was no evidence that what she said was true, but if she was a true elf, then she must have already been living for hundreds if not thousands of years. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’d even seen many of these events herself.

I mean, I was grateful, and this so-called true history was important, but the story she’d just told us was pretty outrageous.

She wasn’t done dropping bombshells. “Daemons do not actually possess individual egos. The sage teaches that they are born in swarms, like ants or bees, with a single collective consciousness.”

The mystic continued, oblivious to our surprise.

“Therefore, by examining the consciousness of a daemon’s brain, even in a corpse, it is possible to read the consciousness of all daemons. The daemonists call this collective consciousness the King of Daemons.”

The mystic paused.

When I looked around at everyone’s reaction, Sedam, Clara, and Reyha had looks of both surprise and disgust. Ild wasn’t following the story at all. Meanwhile, the warrior clan, including Canberils and Lade, looked pained throughout the entire thing.

“Right…” I collected my thoughts. “I understand the advantages. But isn’t using the corpse of a daemon the sort of thing the daemonists do themselves? Isn’t it dangerous?”

The mystic’s story reminded me of Corbal, who’d transformed and fused with an altar made of daemon corpses, and Diane’s mother, who’d ultimately been brainwashed by daemonism and fused with an Unholy Spirit, transforming into a daemon nest. The warrior clan, bound to a life of hunting daemons, were as dependent on daemonic corpses as the daemonists were.

“As you might expect, there are dangers involved. So far, we have been blessed with the protection of Rimeydal, and I have been able to fulfill my role without any serious issues. But the reason for this is that by hiding my explorations behind the medium of corpses, my existence was concealed from the collective consciousness of the daemons.”

“Until now.”

“Exactly.” The mystic nodded slightly. “When I found information pointing toward you, the ritual was exactly the same as it had always been. But perhaps…” The small sigh that the elf maiden gave here might have been the first emotion she let us see. “Perhaps the King of Daemons is aware of what we do. Perhaps it intentionally gave us your name, and the knowledge that you were an Epicenter, hoping we would destroy its greatest rival on its behalf.”

“I see.”

We had finally reached the end of the explanation.

I nodded and readjusted my position in the chair. As I did, I verified this story in my head and thought about what should be done.

I didn’t have a definitive answer regarding the broader interpretation of the word “epicenter” that I’d pondered earlier. The warrior clan still didn’t know about my Gate of Magic, and considering the reaction of the Daemon’s Sight during my inquisition, they’d probably come to the conclusion that the information was a false story fed to them under the pretense of a prophecy.

Although, I should have been happy that their inaccurate interpretation cleared my name of suspicion.

“I am responsible for this blunder,” the mystic declared. “When I learned that you were going to build a mechanism for fighting the daemons in this world…I knew that I could never be forgiven for such a great sin. A horrible trespass, against a good and mighty man. But I beg you: Please, direct your anger toward my life only.” The elf maiden dropped to the ground as soon as she finished speaking, her voice gone nearly silent. “I beg you.”

The warriors behind her dropped down as well.

I watched silently.

Clara looked at me with a troubled expression. To be honest, I felt troubled, too.

Before, I’d known almost nothing about daemons, but now I had mountains of information. Moreover, there were many terms that the mystic had used that I’d never heard before. We couldn’t overlook what we’d learned, or it would come back to hurt us later.

“As the warlord, I apologize as well. Please accept the many warrior clan treasures we brought as recompense for your suffering.” Canberils spoke gravely from behind the mystic. Lade didn’t say anything, but he was flat on the ground like everyone else.

When they first arrived, I’d felt a lot of anger and anxiety. I didn’t desire to dwell on those feelings any longer. To my left and right, both Sedam and Clara nodded.

I finally spoke. “I accept your apology. However, I don’t need you to pay with your life.”

“This one thanks the great magician for his boundless kindness toward one so unworthy of mercy.”

Canberils was more prosaic. “Thank you.”

I looked at Canberils and the mystic, who lifted their heads in relief, and thought some more.

There were many things I wanted to check and confirm regarding the Divine King, the sage, and the King of Daemons. It looked like we could finally proceed with the alliance with the warrior clan.

That meant…

I had to go with them. To the home of the warrior clan.

 

***

 

This was the second visit of the warrior clan to my castle. The tension that existed between us had largely been diffused by their apology and my acceptance.

However, revealing the truth of the prophecy made me more anxious than relieved. That was because I’d learned that they were using daemon corpses to draw out information about the overmind of the daemons. What’s more, there was a possibility that information about me was being intentionally distorted.

If the warrior clan knew about my Gate of Magic, they would probably come up with an entirely different opinion. There was a possibility that the Epicenter that served as a conduit to the world of the daemons might be similar to my own gate. The two could be confused, and that could mean lethal consequences for me.

If possible, at some point, I hoped to share the exact situation with Canberils by unveiling the truth. But the time wasn’t quite right yet. That was one reason that I needed to solidify our friendship with the warrior clan.

When I suggested that I visit the home of the warrior clan—which they referred to as their castrum—the mystic maiden was pleased.

She actually said, “I would like to borrow your knowledge as a wizard in order to verify the truth of the prophecy.” Apparently, this was the current top priority for the warrior clan. The clan entrusted their fates to this woman, and the reliability of her prophecies was riding on the answer.

Apparently the Council of Elders had decided that, while they had serious reservations, they would allow me to visit the castrum if it would remedy the situation. This was the information I’d received from Canberils, but I was concerned about the difference in reception between him and the Council of Elders.

Finally, I accepted the reparations from the warrior clan, ending our meeting with the oracle. The warrior clan would return to the barracks the next day. I declared my intention to join them.

I was a bit worried about whether they would accept my sudden request to visit, but judging by Canberils’s reaction, everything had already been arranged.

 

***

 

That night…

Thanks to Mora, I was able to throw the warrior clan and their mystic a feast. Canberils and his team were pleased, but the warriors who’d lived at Castle Getaeus for two months were especially moved.

I wanted to go to sleep early to prepare for the next day’s journey, but this seemed right.

“Are you serious?” Clara asked. “You definitely need my strength and counsel. You can just leave Sedam here like you did before.”

Sedam raised a finger. “The negotiations this time are with the warrior clan. A noble’s etiquette and social graces are useless there. Besides, you’ll also need to research this whole King of Daemons mystery. You’ll definitely need my experience as a veteran adventurer, to say nothing of my wide breadth of knowledge.”

Clara and Sedam started arguing. I’d instigated it by suggesting we decide who would accompany me to the warrior clan’s castrum. Surely they both realized that I would have to leave one of them behind to care for Castle Getaeus. Neither of them was ready to give in.

If this had been a discussion about who was going on a picnic, I would’ve happily taken them both, but we didn’t have that luxury.

“A sorceress has plenty of knowledge about daemons,” Clara insisted. “And even if they look like barbarians, the clan has a history and traditions. My social skills will definitely be useful.”

“There’s a possibility that you will be betrayed, even by your own party. If that happens, I can take care of myself and survive without getting in Margilus’s way.”

I watched silently.

As usual, Reyha was off to the side, happy to stay out of the argument. Probably she assumed from the start that she’d be coming along. She was right, of course. I couldn’t afford to leave her behind.

Mora, who was busy preparing tea, couldn’t stand to listen in silence any further. “Hey, stop being so selfish, both of you! It’s Geo’s decision, isn’t it?”

I continued to watch silently.

They looked at each other, then looked at me in unison.

Clara said, “You’ll be better off if I’m with you, Margilus.”

“Maybe she’s stronger,” said Sedam, “but I’m much better at solving puzzles.”

“Mmm…”

I put my staff to my cheek and stared at them for a bit. I understood well that both of them had my best interests at heart. Of the two, Sedam’s motivation as a curious scholar was the easier to read.

But in any case, I’d already decided.

“I’m taking Reyha and Sedam this time.”

“Oho, got it, boss.” He flashed us a quick wink.

I actually needed an attendant who could stay at the castle anytime I had to leave for diplomacy, like when I’d gone to Filsand. Canberils had asked me to bring only the bare minimum, so this was my decision. As Sedam had said, he had a wider base of relevant knowledge, so I definitely wanted him along.

Which wasn’t to say that Clara was his inferior in scholarship; she had her own expertise.

“What do you mean?” I thought Clara would get angry, but instead she dropped her head and said in a low voice, “Won’t you miss me scolding you?”

This startled me. “Clara?”

So she was aware that she was always scolding me…though that wasn’t the most important thing right now.

“That’s not it,” I assured her. “I feel safest leaving the castle in your hands.”

That was no excuse, either. It was how I really felt.

Sedam was also capable of serving as our castellan, though in my experience, I couldn’t really leave Ild in charge for long. However, what if there was a sudden crisis, like when the warrior clan had come?

Clara was the best at handling that kind of problem. She possessed a natural understanding of how to give orders; she definitely exceeded me in that respect. You might even say it was her birthright as an aristocrat.

But there was a bigger reason.

“You understand what I want more than anyone. So if anything happens to me, I know you will do a wonderful job of leading everyone.”

“Really? Do you really mean it?”

“Of course I do.”

Clara pursed her lips and turned away.

Had I said the wrong thing again? I looked around. Mora was frowning, Sedam had one eyebrow raised, and Reyha’s eyes were full of affection. They were all looking at Clara and me.

What in the world?

Clara finally looked up at me. “W-well…anyway…I suppose that’s just how things have to be.” Her blue eyes seem to be a little moist. I wasn’t used to seeing this expression on her face. At least she was somewhat happy that I trusted her. “I promise to take great care of Castle Getaeus.”

“I’ll be counting on you.”

Actually, there was a chance that while I was gone, the King of Daemons might try to attack the castle in some way or another. I decided to leave my Staff of Wizardry with her.

“Setting that aside, Margilus…”

“Hmm?”

“Even the head of a family should never talk about his own death lightly. You were talking to me in private…so even if you write this off as a discussion in confidence, you are forbidden from showing such weakness in public. You hear me, Margilus? What am I going to do with you?”

Ah, and now the scolding had begun. It looked like I’d be getting even less sleep than I’d thought…

 

***

 

Sedam, Reyha, and I were at the Castle Getaeus gate. Soldiers were lined up on each side, creating a path for us to pass through. Everyone had gathered to watch us go, including the servants and Schultz clan.

Out of all those people, it was Diane who came up to me.

“Hey, Your Lordness. Are you sure you don’t need me to go? You know I’ll do anything to protect you.”

“Yes, I know that.”

I almost gave in, seeing the desperation in her request. Somehow, I managed to stop myself. I didn’t plan to ride into battle this time. While I was grateful for her faithfulness—which might have grown dangerously close to fanaticism—her hasty nature wasn’t suited for this kind of meeting.

And so I told her, “Don’t forget, you also have a duty to your clanspeople.”

“Right. You’re right. I know.”

Sedam came to whisper something to me. I’d only heard it in passing before, but the Schultz clan apparently described themselves as descendants of the Divine King, who’d become the first Epicenter. It would be far too dangerous to take her along this time.

“I’m leaving you here because I want you to protect everyone in the castle. Take this task as a sign of my trust in you.”

“Trust?”

“That’s right. Everyone in that castle is like family to me. I’m asking you to protect them. To me, that’s the most important role in the castle.”

“But…what if my lord doesn’t return? Then I…”

I wasn’t trying to lie to her, but it would be hard to convince her logically while she was so emotional.

“If something like that happens, Clara will take my place. She will take over my work and do it well. Consider her words to be my words, and do whatever you can to help her.”

She didn’t respond.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Clara take charge of the vacant-eyed warrior, her own eyes a clear and piercing blue as she looked at me.

“Clara’s words are your words? So, if I do what Clara says, that would make you happy?”

“Absolutely.”

“I see… Well…okay.”

It took a long time to get her on board, but Diane finally relented.

Clara didn’t look entirely comfortable. “Margilus…”

“I’ll leave you to it.”

I spoke matter-of-factly, leaving only my parting words with an annoyed-looking Clara. Inwardly, I marveled over how well she’d handled what I’d just asked of her. Well, given all we’d been through, it would take more than this to put her off her game.

“Take this Staff of Wizardry, and let it be the proof of your authority. Use it at your own discretion in case of an emergency.”

That morning I’d charged Fireball and Lightning attack spells into the staff before handing it off to her. That much could fight off troops of five hundred or even a thousand humans or daemons.

She was someone who would always rise to a challenge.

“Leave everything to me,” she said. “Do what you need to do, and don’t worry about anything here.”

 

***

 

Once I was finally ready to go, I nodded to everyone I’d kept waiting—the mystic who called herself a repository of knowledge, the warlord Canberils, the warchief Lade, and their two guards. The ten warriors who had previously been stationed at the castle were to remain.

Ild wished us well. “Hurry back.”

“Be safe,” said Djirk.

We took these farewells as our signal to leave. When I looked back at the castle gate one last time, I saw little Mora waving her hands furiously. I could feel her calling out my name so fervently, it hurt my heart a little.

 

***

 

We were walking.

After such a lively and cheerful send-off, the endless mountain path felt somewhat anticlimactic.

“I think you can go ahead and tell me now,” I said to Lade’s massive back.

“Tell you what?”

“How to get to the warrior clan’s castrum.”

Sedam followed up on my question. “I get that you all live and die by your secrecy, but you could at least tell us how many days it will take.”

The clan flatly refused to tell us where the castrum was, or how to get there. There were lots of excuses. It was their law, and they were hated by many people. But we were already on our way there.

Moreover, when Canberils had previously said he would go to the castrum to consider the results of the inquisition, he was gone for two months. I felt I had to be ready for at least a month-long trip each way. But it was even rougher to keep trudging along without any explanation or even an estimate of how long it would take.

Both Sedam and I wanted more disclosure. Reyha said nothing, as usual.

The maiden hidden beneath hood and robe stopped and bowed deeply to us. “I apologize for my rudeness. Please forgive me. Know that we will use a special means of transportation for this journey. If you can wait for just one more day, I am sure all your questions will be answered.”

Sedam and I decided we could manage that. And not just because it was a beautiful elf maiden who’d asked us to.

 

***

 

The next night, our journey still continued.

We weren’t taking the Lawful Way, but instead we went through a forest valley that couldn’t even be considered a side path. The guards carried torches, and I used my Light spell, so I could at least see where I was putting my feet, but it was still awfully dark.

“We’re not going underground, are we? Or is the warrior clan land actually in this valley?” Sedam grimaced, a combination of curiosity and irritation. Meanwhile, Reyha was gazing up at the starry sky with a strange look on her face.

“What is it, Reyha?”

“My lord. The sky…it’s wrong.”

“The sky?”

Sedam and I joined her in looking up. Unlike the night sky in Japan, this sky was beautiful and full of stars…but what was this…?

“What is that?” Reyha wondered breathlessly. “A star? There shouldn’t be a star there…”

“You’re right,” Sedam said, fretfully. “It’s more like…”

Sedam was a ranger who specialized in outdoor activities, sort of like fantasy special forces. Reyha was an astute spy. Between them, there must have been a wealth of astronomical knowledge, such as how to reckon their direction and position based on the stars. The fact that both of them said this at the same time… I wasn’t sure what it meant.

“We’re here.” Canberils’s voice surprised all of us. I couldn’t see him in the shadow of a large boulder. At some point, the line of warriors proceeded farther back into the valley.

Just in case, Reyha went ahead first, following behind them.

 

***

 

“What the hell? What is this?”

“Is it…a ship?”

It was. Enshrined in the bottom of the valley was a ship so big it looked like it could sail even on the open sea. It was probably around twenty meters long. To me, it looked like one of the so-called tall-masted ships, and there was a mast, but the sail wasn’t up. Actually, on closer inspection, it didn’t even have a sail. There were also a number of legs jutting out on either side, probably to provide stability on land.

“The special means you mentioned was this ship?” Clearly, this ship was beyond even Sedam’s knowledge. He stared at it, mouth agape. “How can a ship travel on land?”

“I’ve never seen anything like this before…” Reyha’s eyes were round in surprise.

“I-Interesting…” While I was surprised, I at least had heard of something like this before. “I think I know what this is. An airship?”

Sedam blinked. “You’ve seen one before?”

“Well done, wizard,” said Lade. “Guess we underestimated you.”

I’d never imagined I would see something like this, and I’d never seen anything like it before, but I had heard of flying ships in a fictional sense—that is…fantasy airships, not dirigibles or blimps.

“As you say, this is the Moonlight Ship of the warrior clan. We’ll start it up without delay.”

Moonlight Ship? It was a pretty elegant name.

Sedam and Reyha wore expressions of doubt. “Hmm?”

Canberils signaled something to the warriors who were aboard the Moonlight Ship.

At that instant, some sort of purple light appeared around the thick, sailless mast.

“Hmm?”

The purple light shot up vertically, stretching farther and farther, like living threads. There seemed to be four or five beams of light. The mast shook as if it was tangled in them, their movements exactly like those of tentacles. Next, the number of threads, brightness, and thickness of the light all multiplied. Before we knew it, there was a canopy of purple light above our heads.

No way.

I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.

It wasn’t that the purple light had just appeared out of nowhere. There was already something transparent and huge above the Moonlight Ship…a big, plush canopy. It was so big that when we looked up, we couldn’t see anything else. The entire thing emitted purple light and looked like a giant, round hat, but the vertex was more like a flower petal, flashing red and green.

I had seen something else like this before.

“No way…is it a jellyfish?” I murmured, stunned.

A profound sense of wonder. That’s what I felt. This real-life fantasy was going beyond my knowledge and imagination.

“That’s right. The Moonlight Ship flies in the sky with the aid of a nocturnal monster.” Lade looked prouder than I had ever seen him before.