Gyeonghuigung
It was a season so scorching that even the dawn dew scarcely had a chance to appear.
The blazing summer sun made its ferocity known the instant it rose in the east.
'And yet...'
Despite the light and heat that seemed capable of piercing through everything, the land beyond remained gloomy, as though sunlight could not reach it.
They said it had been even darker when Godwin was alive, but Ferda could hardly imagine it.
Why had Godwin sought to create a land like that?
Why had he wanted to return everything to nothingness?
'The Land of Mystery...'
It had earned that name because its people wielded magic that could not be understood through the principles of modern magic.
Most mysterious elixirs originated in the East, yet there was suspiciously little documentation about the region.
Even Ferda had excluded it from the places he needed to visit in order to reach the Ninth Circle. It was only natural that he had paid it little attention before the declaration of conquest.
"Must you truly go there?"
The question came from Luri, who stood one step behind him.
"I must. Only then can she attain the happiness she desires."
"Do you know what Lady Valdrova desires?"
"I do."
Her dream had always been to live a quiet, ordinary life.
"And yet you are willing to risk your life."
From Luri's perspective, this was an extremely personal matter.
But Ferda had no other choice.
He knew that a terrifying monster still lurked inside him.
One day, that monster would undoubtedly try to devour Valdrova again.
That was why he needed Eastern magic.
The driving force behind elven magic was emotion, making it similar in nature to the Red Circles of humans.
The people of the East had learned from the elves how to utilize the Red Circle, studying its control, amplification, and efficiency.
Ferda could amplify it whenever he wished.
What he needed was control.
Ferda silently gazed eastward before asking her,
"His Highness Valdrova..."
"She still does not wish to see you."
"...I see."
This was a journey on which he would be risking his life.
Though he would be traveling with veteran adventurers, they too would be putting their lives on the line.
Even the slightest possibility that he might never see tomorrow again tightened painfully around his heart.
He had wanted to ease that tension, even if only a little.
'Eleanor...'
Ferda had given her the name Eleanor.
But he had not been able to call her by that name since that day, and gradually, it had begun to feel awkward even in his thoughts.
"Isn't this better?"
Luri said.
"If you do not return alive, you will not be able to see Master again."
"...You're right."
Rather than treating this as their final meeting, he now had another reason to return alive and see her again.
When Luri put it that way, Ferda felt some of his tension transform into courage.
"Thank you."
Ferda reached out toward Luri's head.
Luri flinched when she saw his hand, but she said nothing.
"Regent Ferda!"
Just as he was about to stroke her hair, a lively voice called out to him.
It was Lize.
The bewilderment had yet to leave her face.
"It took you quite some time to prepare."
"I'm sorry! The spirits kept clinging to me and begging me not to go..."
"You mean the spirits tried to stop you?"
"Yes. They said the demonic energy was too dense for them to enter..."
Those most vulnerable to corruption by demonic energy were beings sensitive to mana—spirits, in other words.
Though the three spirits were small and adorable, together they formed an unimaginably powerful entity.
If they were corrupted by demonic energy, they would undoubtedly become a calamity.
"They kept making a fuss, saying I would die if I went there and that they couldn't let me go. They grabbed me and kept pulling..."
"And?"
Lize hesitated, then silently turned around.
Her clothes had been torn away, exposing her pale skin and the curves of her back.
"We should ask the guild whether they have any spare clothes."
"Yes..."
Lize nodded with a blush.
Ferda still found it difficult to remember that he was a man.
The expedition was scheduled to assemble at the eastern gate of Hestia Village.
Ordinarily, there would have been few people there, but today the area was crowded not only with guild members but also with passersby who had stopped to watch.
After forcing his way through the crowd, Ferda saw several men who appeared to be scholars and engineers gathered around a large object.
Lize's eyes sparkled when he saw it.
"Wow."
"Yes."
"So that's the mana-powered automobile?"
"At first glance, it looks like a carriage. There's something sticking out from where the horses would normally be attached..."
It closely resembled the prototype Ferda had once seen in a future that no longer existed.
However, since this machine had to accommodate twelve people, it was considerably larger.
It was not exactly the same, either. Its design was far more refined.
The long-held ambition of the chancellor of Escholeia was reflected in every part of it.
'He poured an absurd amount of effort into this just to spite people who use carriages.'
Knowing the story behind it, Ferda found it ridiculous.
Still, he could not call it useless.
After all, it was raising the morale of both the adventurers and the guild members.
A flagpole had been erected on the mana-powered automobile. A symbol was displayed on the flag, along with the words:
—The Flint Expedition.
Flint meant a piece of stone used to kindle fire.
Expedition groups usually stuffed their names with anything that sounded impressive, such as golden wings or eagles.
Yet this one had chosen something as plain as flint.
'Since this expedition began in Hestia, it represents their determination to kindle the first flame...'
When he thought of it that way, the name did not sound so bad.
"You arrived early."
Erika greeted Ferda.
She slowly looked him up and down.
"You've armed yourself properly as well. I can't find anything to criticize."
"This is an important mission. I cannot afford to become a burden."
"It would have been nice if you had said that last time."
"I said the same thing last time, did I not?"
"It sounded more like you were telling us to worry about ourselves."
"That meaning was included as well."
"Here comes the noble lord, gracing us with his presence. As for you, Lize... Judging by your back, it seems you need a new set of clothes."
"Yes..."
"Let's see whether there is anything suitable in the warehouse. Come with me."
Erika left with Lize to search for clothes he could wear.
Ferda began checking his equipment, just like the others.
At that moment, he sensed someone staring at him.
When he turned, he saw an armored knight standing nearby.
He could not see the person inside the armor, but Ferda knew the knight's gaze was directed at him.
"..."
"Do you have business with me?"
The knight tilted their head slightly upward, then gently swayed it as though considering something.
Nod.
The armored knight handed Ferda a sheet of paper.
Written on it were the words:
—I look forward to working with you.
"..."
What was there to contemplate so deeply over those few words?
Thinking there might be some hidden meaning, Ferda examined them closely.
'The handwriting is remarkably elegant.'
That was the only information he could glean from it.
Had the knight hired a professional scribe?
Or had they practiced writing it personally before coming here?
Had they truly gone through all that effort merely to offer a greeting?
Surely they had not joined the expedition for the childish purpose of having their handwriting praised.
"Likewise. I look forward to working with you."
Ferda returned the paper as he replied.
The armored knight seemed somewhat dissatisfied with his response, but did not persist.
A short while later, Erika returned and began speaking with the scholars and engineers.
"We'll be departing shortly! Everyone, take your positions!"
"Positions!"
At Erika's booming command, the adventurers who had been sitting around rose and moved into the rear compartment.
Ferda was about to follow them when—
"Just a moment."
Erika stopped him.
"Regent, would you sit beside me?"
She tapped the seat next to her.
Ferda instinctively frowned.
"May I refuse?"
"You're an honored guest. Naturally, we should give you the best seat."
"Can it truly be called the best seat when it is the coachman's bench?"
"Exactly. Isn't it strange for the head of an adventurers' branch to be sitting in the coachman's seat? What do you think people would say if the Blue-Eyed Master of the Magic Tower were sitting somewhere like this?"
Why should he care?
They would probably assume her tower had gone bankrupt and that she had been reduced to driving a carriage.
Still, sitting in the back and idly chatting did not suit Ferda's personality, so he obediently took the seat beside Erika.
"Let's see. First, pull this lever, then hold down this button while..."
After going through a complicated sequence of controls, a sound began to resonate from the front.
Vwoooooom—!
It sounded like something grinding inside a vacuum tube.
The engine had started.
After Erika operated a few more controls, the wheels began to move.
And they did so remarkably smoothly.
"It's moving!"
"It's actually moving!"
The scholars and engineers burst into cheers as they watched the wheels turn.
As the vehicle gradually moved farther away, some of them even began shedding tears of emotion.
Ferda tilted his head.
"You don't understand why they're so delighted, do you?"
"No."
"Until the day before yesterday, they were complaining that it was too heavy to carry all twelve of us. Apparently, they hadn't accounted for armor or additional supplies."
"And?"
"I gave them twenty-four hours."
"I imagine you did more than simply give them twenty-four hours."
"Of course."
It would have been a lie to say Ferda disliked Erika's straightforward method of solving problems.
They soon left the village and headed toward the Demonic Lands.
They crossed the boundary whose sharply divided colors made it seem like the border between life and death.
"We're entering! Everyone, prepare yourselves!"
At Erika's signal, the members of the expedition checked the talismans around their necks once more.
The moment they crossed the boundary, they felt it.
"Urgh..."
"Ghh!"
Those being exposed to demonic energy for the first time reacted immediately.
The mages, who were especially sensitive to mana, suffered the worst. The others felt the demonic energy pressing heavily against their bodies.
Ferda was no exception.
'Had I no reason to enter, I would have turned back almost immediately.'
He slowly circulated his Circles and steadied his breathing.
Again and again, he reminded himself that his body was his sanctuary, a domain into which demonic energy could not intrude.
—This brings back memories.
Erika casually spoke to him through telepathy.
—Back then, we somehow managed to break through with the protection of every dragon and god.
'Is that so?'
—There are twelve of us again this time, just like back then. I was also the one who recruited the expedition members who went to slay the Demon King.
'I see.'
—I apologize for talking about something you have no interest in. Still, please listen. Honestly, there is no one else with whom I can speak openly about this.
Ferda considered shutting her out, but doing so might create an opening through which the demonic energy could seep in, so he let her continue.
Lost in old memories, Erika went on.
—No one believed it was possible at the time. Not even me, though I was recruiting them. We were supposed to cross the demonic energy, enter the East—the so-called Land of Mystery that had already been completely destroyed—and kill the Demon King. Honestly, it sounded absurd.
'Indeed.'
—That was why everyone believed we should coexist with Godwin and comply with his demands. There was only one person who disagreed.
'Valdrova?'
—Yes. She believed in humanity's potential. Honestly, at the time, I thought it was truly...
'Idiotic?'
—I was going to say irrational and overly emotional. Why would you put it like that? Haven't I told you before?
'Continue your story.'
—In any case, I did not expect much from humanity. Humans were so occupied with fighting among themselves that I believed they had no choice but to walk the path toward extinction.
'But the result was different.'
—Yes. In the end, they saved the Cerdes Continent. Human power has continued to grow ever since. Ultimately, she was the one who had been right.
'Wasn't all of that already known?'
—It was, but no one had the chance to dwell on it. The final incident overturned everything.
Godwin died.
Silverwind died.
Countless people who had entered the battlefield perished, and dragon spawns were among them.
Dragon spawns shared the experience of their own deaths with one another.
After seeing Valdrova through that connection, they could not help but hate her.
Even now, Silverwind desired nothing more than to wage war against Valdrova.
—She had never tried to defend herself or explain anything, so I assumed she was simply a shameless dragon.
'She was merely unable to speak of it.'
—No one even considered that possibility. What dragon in the world would behave like that? We are the sort who immediately punish anyone who talks back to us...
Hearing Erika admit it herself left Ferda with nothing to say.
—So I have made a decision.
'What decision?'
—When the day comes that Lady Iorga can stand proudly once more, we will formally apologize for the disrespect we committed.
An apology.
The thought of a dragon other than Valdrova apologizing to someone felt strangely remarkable.
Ferda concealed that thought as he replied,
'As the Master of the Magic Tower, I am merely grateful that you feel that way.'
Their telepathic conversation ended there.
Erika then spoke aloud, as though to change the subject.
"This is more comfortable than I expected. All I have to do is keep pressing this, and it moves forward on its own."
"Is that so?"
"Sky carriages and ordinary mana-powered carriages are quite difficult to handle. You have to consider your condition for the return journey as well. Otherwise, it's hardly unusual for one to simply plummet from the sky on the way back."
"That is true."
"Traveling comfortably for an hour is nice, but it would be far more useful if we could find a way to completely block demonic energy while supplying additional mana stones..."
"If magitech could be used to create transport equipment equipped with demonic-energy shielding, its efficiency would be greatly increased..."
The two of them became engrossed in exchanging minor ideas about magitech.
Valdrova, seated in the innermost part of the vehicle, stared intently at them.
She had been eavesdropping on their conversation.
'I don't understand a single word.'
The two of them were discussing intellectual matters far beyond her comprehension.
To Valdrova, Ferda seemed to shine as she watched him speak.
After two hours of travel, the engine of the mana-powered automobile gradually began to weaken.
The wheels likewise lost strength until they eventually came to a complete stop.
The energy within the mana stones had been entirely depleted.
At the same time, it demonstrated just how accurate Erika's calculations had been.
Before them stood the foundation stones upon which a great gate had once rested.
They had arrived at Gyeonghuigung Palace.
Erika climbed down from the driver's seat and shouted,
"This is where it truly begins! Everyone, stay alert!"
"Whew. So it begins!"
Every member of the group was a veteran with more than five years of adventuring experience.
However, being a veteran did not necessarily mean one would survive long in this profession.
They were people who always kept that fact in mind.
Erika, the leader of the Flint Expedition, began issuing commands in earnest.
"Position A. We are moving in."
As they entered Gyeonghuigung Palace, a vast front courtyard greeted them.
Despite having been abandoned for so long, its structure remained strangely intact.
The keen eyes of an archer flashed.
"Enemies sighted!"
The enemies were not hiding.
They slowly revealed themselves before the fresh prey that had willingly wandered into their territory.
They were monsters that seemed to imitate the human form.
If one had to compare them to something, they resembled ghouls.
Unlike the animal-shaped monsters they commonly encountered, these creatures had slender, agile-looking bodies and moved on all fours.
"Kieeeek!"
"Kieeeek!"
They shrieked, signaling to others of their kind.
It was as though they were awakening from a long slumber.
"Fifty of them!"
It seemed like an easy battle.
"No, one hundred...!"
Still manageable.
"No, two hundred!"
Perhaps a little difficult.
"Three hundred!"
At that point, there was no reason to keep estimating.
The ghoul-like monsters densely filled the space before the palace.
With purple skin and glowing green eyes, they looked anything but ordinary.
"Looks like there is no such thing as easy money."
"When has anything in this world ever been easy?"
Even while facing a situation in which they could die, the adventurers smiled.
For an adventurer, that was the best thing they could do.
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