Chapter 283 |
TL: TangSanFan
ED/PR: Tanthus
『Side Story』 Pursuing the Butterfly (10)
To head for the right mountain, one must cross the sea.
The once unified island of Acken had split into two large islands connected by several smaller rock islets.
Of course, there was no proper dock left. The crossing had to be through space manipulation magic or flying magic, both consuming massive amounts of mana.
Even if one could afford the mana costs, the airspace over Acken was strictly controlled by spirits under the command of Yenika Faelover. Crossing the open sea without cover was tantamount to courting death.
Yet, it had to be done—Lucy had her reasons.
“The flight segment isn’t long. Elvira and I will support you during it. However, once we cross to the north island, you’ll have to act on your own.”
“Until we reach the northern coast, those who can still fight among the survivors will gather to escort you. Until then, conserve your mana as much as possible.”
Clevius was neither stuttering nor looking around anxiously, as he had previously.
The weight of responsibility that had stained his shoulders over time had forged him into a true warrior.
At the entrance to the underground waterway.
Gathered here were select fighters from among the survivors, Clevius, Elvira, and Lortelle.
“I can’t follow.”
Lortelle spoke calmly.
She needed to stay and lead the remaining survivors. The Soul Library was the last stronghold for those left on Acken Island.
If even it were discovered by the spirits, no life would remain on the isle.
“Now is the time for farewells, whatever the outcome may be.”
“……”
“It was a pleasure to meet you, Lucy.”
In the end, Lortelle did not ask about Ed, whom Lucy knew.
As though it was the right decision.
Her calmness was befitting of the ‘Ironblood Merchant,’ known for keeping her wits in any situation. Yet, sometimes, it felt like a shackle choking her spirit.
One should be capable of venting sorrow and despair now and then.
But when hardened by too many trials, the human heart can become so calloused that it forgets how to let go of its strength.
“Lortelle, you…”
“I will survive.”
The reason was immaterial, whether it was vengeance or a bare desire for life.
“Come to think of it, you wouldn’t know. Ed left a will in a letter written in prison before passing away. To those around him, it was as if he was saying goodbye.”
“……”
“It was full of messages, but the takeaway was to survive by any means.”
Yenika, too, would have received such a will. Likely similar in message.
However, according to Lortelle’s account, Lucy in this place had died before Ed.
Therefore… there would be no separate will for Lucy.
“I agree with Ed’s wishes. We must survive.”
“……”
“The situation isn’t great… but with enough effort, we can hold out at least another three years with the supplies we have.”
People’s spirits were worn thin, and there was no sign of the situation improving. But Lortelle refused to relinquish the will to live.
“I just wanted to have that said. That I’m holding out.”
With that, Lortelle fell silent.
Lucy closed her eyes for a moment before turning away.
Beyond the underground waterway lay Acken, overrun by spirits.
She would first cross the northern woods to the shore, then use flying magic to reach the right mountain.
At the top, she must break through Yenika’s defenses at the Altar of Replacement to draw divine mana using the remains of Tir Kalax to reach out to Ed, who was searching for her.
It was a near-impossible plan, but Lucy did not hesitate.
As she quietly exited with her escort, the remaining survivors in the waterway prayed silently.
They could only hope that this might be the beginning of the end of all their calamities.
* * *
“The northern forest teems with spirits. It’s best to avoid tempting their attention, but at this point, circling another way is even more dangerous.”
The northern forest’s domain was so vast that detouring would extend their route too much; it was better to cut straight through.
“Conserve your mana at all costs until we reach the northern coast.”
The state of the surviving warriors was far from ideal.
Years of surviving in extreme conditions had depleted their strength. Their adversaries were spirits endlessly powered by mana from Yenika, who held the Heart of Bellbrook.
In any drawn-out battle, they would be inevitably overwhelmed.
As they emerged from the waterway and dashed through the northern woods, everyone held their breath.
The priority was not to stir the spirits.
―Ssssh.
The shortest path through the northern woods.
It was a route Lucy had often taken during her school days, familiar enough to her eyes. But the vegetation stretched out eerily differently; time had subtly altered the forest.
At the vanguard, Clevius scouted around, followed by Lucy, Elvira, and a dozen other fighters, moving through the woods in formation.
Each one on edge and keenly vigilant. Lucy could not empathize fully, but it was clear they all felt the imminent danger to their lives.
And it was not for nothing that they had come to regard the roaming spirits of the island as a source of terror.
―Woosh!
―Screaaaaaaam!
Dozens of grotesque spirits twisted in form to cover the sky above.
Upon discovering those daring to traverse the northern forest—a stronghold of the spirits—they screamed in twisted fury.
The spirits, who had once frolicked in the woods with Yenika, exhaled a sinister breath and rushed at the group with ominous eyes.
“Prepare for battle!”
Elvira commanded as she shouted; the fighters drew their weapons with grim expressions.
As a giant mole-like fire spirit spewed flames, the surroundings began to burn. Blue drake spirits touched land, some swiping up several fighters with gigantic claws and taking to the sky.
“Aaagh!”
Painful screams filled the air as one of the fighters was abducted aloft. It was clear the victim would either bleed out or perish from a deadly fall.
Yet, Elvira—gritting her teeth—stopped Lucy from intervening.
“You were told to conserve mana.”
“……”
Their comrade was snatched just moments ago, likely to die from claws or a fatal fall.
Despite this, Elvira’s stubbornness prevented Lucy’s participation.
For the surviving camp, Lucy represented the sole hope for overcoming their dismal circumstances. Their objective was to conserve Lucy’s strength at all costs, to bring her to the right mountain—and nothing must be allowed to make them forget that.
―Boom!
An explosive-like sound emanated from the front line.
But surprisingly, it wasn’t due to an explosion; it was the sound of a sword strike.
Fuelled by bloodlust, Clevius’ sword strikes were indiscernible from massive artillery. Each strike left a significant mark in the forest with his overwhelming power.
“Huff, huff…”
As Clevius’ deep breaths settled on the forest floor, he drew his sword from his shoulder, and blood flowed.
Lucy Mayrill had once faced Clevius in his bloodthirsty state.
Though she was far from reaching the peak of her power, she had to admit the explosive potency was undeniable.
Now, Clevius was handling the bloodsword technique with even greater finesse. He wasn’t exacting the technique wildly, annihilating everything in sight or slicing through all forms of life recklessly.
Yet, it was not easy to overcome the vigor of bloodlust.
Clevius struggled to maintain his reasoning, drawing the sword anew from his shoulder. Blood spurted out, and as he looked up to the sky, it was filled with spirits.
On the brink, pushing bloodsword techniques to the extreme, Clevius possessed the physical prowess to face high-ranking spirits individually.
However, there was a clear limit against the sheer volume. Using his blood as sacrificial power meant, in a war of attrition, he could eventually destroy himself—that was the greatest flaw of bloodsword arts.
And in attrition led by numbers, Yenika Faelover could not be beaten.
“Clevius can only hold out for five minutes at most.”
Elvira understood Clevius’ strength more than anyone and instantly grasped what it meant for him to resort to the bloodsword techniques now.
“Lucy, you can’t fight here. While Clevius holds them off, we need to run.”
With a serious expression, Elvira looked at Lucy, who was not the type to gulp down saliva or sweat in such a situation.
Nevertheless, she fully understood the gravity of the current crisis.
―Kaboom!
A blood-imbued sword cut divided the sky.
Dozens of spirit bodies fell like rain, but soon new ones blossomed, refilling the northern forest’s sky.
Elvira took hold of Lucy’s wrist and dashed deeper into the forest.
They took direction through dense underbrush rather than an open path. Some of the party members hesitated to follow.
At this moment, it was right for Elvira to lead Lucy separately. The others had no purpose but to draw attention here to allow Lucy to reach the northern island.
Thus, for a long time, Lucy ran across the forest with Elvira.
While running, they observed the northern woods, which differed greatly from what Lucy remembered.
The forest trails on the outskirts of the northern forest were utterly burned away, barely recognizable as woods anymore.
Even the guardian tree of Merilda at the central lake stood bare.
And… further running brought them to the familiar sight at last.
“……”
A cabin, a campfire, and a wooden storage shed.
In front of the humbly constructed… wooden shelter.
The first carpentry work of a man who began survival activities from this camp.
And, once Lucy’s favorite spot for a nap.
The fact that this humble camp was preserved in its original form was hard to believe. Amidst all the chaos, how did this ramshackle camp remain untouched?
Was it the talk?
Lucy was distracted toward the camp at that very moment.
“That camp… you shouldn’t even get close to it.”
While looking at the camp which was still at a distance, Elvira once again pulled Lucy’s hand.
“It’s a sanctuary protected by the most powerful spirits at all times. If you trespass there by mistake, there are more than a few survivors who’ve lost their lives.”
“……”
“Better to heal. If you just avoid that area and go around, the rest of the sections only have spirits that are somewhat manageable.”
Trudging through bushes, Elvira continued her story through clenched teeth.
“Listen, Lucy. It’s an era where many have lost much.”
What’s lost is lost. It’s a saying Lucy has kept close to her heart, yet the pain never fades.
“The people who have joined the group of survivors are all those who’ve lost precious lovers, friends, families… whatever it may be. In that sense, I’m relatively fortunate.”
“… Fortunate?”
“Yes. Because I haven’t lost Clevius.”
Perhaps because Clevius himself was not present here.
Elvira unreservedly shared her feelings.
“Just for that, I should be grateful. However, Clevius actually risked his life for this. He’s overly considerate of others, feeling some strange sense of duty to save every survivor.”
Looking up to the northern forest sky, she saw a swordsman swinging his sword among spirits. His bleeding already looked severe.
“Do you understand the meaning of that?”
“……”
“If we lose Clevius because of this, I’ll be no different from Lortelle. I absolutely refuse to fall into that kind of sorrow and despair.”
These were words that she could never say in Lortelle’s presence.
However, to convince Lucy of the gravity of the situation, there were no better words to use.
Lucy… knew better than anyone how special Clevius was to Elvira.
“I don’t want to lose Clevius. So please… gather your strength… you’re the only one I can lean on.”
“We can’t be a hundred percent sure that everything will work out.”
“I know. But as I said, you’re the only one who gives me hope.”
Elvira stopped sprinting through the forest to stand still and turn back to Lucy.
Lucy also stopped in her tracks and dazedly stared back at Elvira.
Panting from exhaustion, only their heavy breathing exchanged for a while.
“We are nearing the forest exit soon. Once we reach the cliff area, you’ll have to cross over to Orun Mountain by yourself. I’ll assist you while you’re in flight. Even if only for a while, we can prevent the spirits from approaching.”
“Can you guys wrap up and return to the Soul Library?”
“… We’ll try.”
Elvira rolled up her sleeves and forced a confident smile, though it seemed rather forced.
“somewhat manageable… We can handle it for now.”
With that… the two dashed out of the forest.
“We can handle it,” said Elvira, and it probably wasn’t just a bluff. She had been quite skilled back in her Sylvania Academy days, and years of training under extreme conditions had further honed her combat abilities.
Though she may not equal Clevius, who employs the Blood Sword Technique, Elvira’s combat power would be more useful than gathering dozens of average fighters.
However, the world is full of exceptions.
―Woo-woooong.
At first, it’s not easy to identify the sound clearly.
But Lucy, who had heard it many times before, recognized it.
Yenika Faelover is an opponent never to be made an enemy. A moment that painfully reminded all the scholars, after witnessing the highest-ranking spirit’s grandeur that had enveloped the entire academy.
Was it because Elvira and Clevius were caught exploring the Triss vault? Or did Yenika faintly sense Lucy’s presence?
Ordinarily unable to see… The enormous spirit… right after coming out of the northern forest—its figure was filling the landscape beyond the cliffs.
―Woo-wooo-woooong.
One might mistake it for the sound of a ship’s bell from a vast vessel.
But it’s the cry of a spirit.
Possessed by madness, completely imbued with unleashed magic… the wail of the mighty highest-ranking spirit.
The highest-ranking Water Spirit ‘Priddy’… was like the commander of a legion appearing with thousands of spirit soldiers.
―Whoaaaaak!
―Chwaaaaaaaak!
As it lifted its enormous body from the sea, a giant wave engulfed the cliff area.
The shape of the massive whale was indeed different from what Lucy knew.
Its odd patterns of unleashed magic etched here and there, and its eyes were covered with eerie, red glows.
Unsettling dark red magical energy blanketed the area, and thousands of flying spirits accompanying Priddy surged toward Orun Mountain.
Watching the sweeping waves, Lucy hastily raised her magic to block them. The massive rocks carried by the surge clashed against the magical barrier, but she managed to fend them off.
The appearance itself was a disaster. Such was the existence of the highest-ranking spirit.
* * *
“Lucy!”
Amidst the tumultuous waves, Elvira shouted.
“We have to cross before it fully manifests! If this highest-ranking spirit dominates the area, we can do nothing!”
Why Priddy manifested at this moment remained uncertain.
Yenika, who wished to keep Acken Island a sanctuary, would not want to damage the area with unnecessary shocks.
Just by summoning Theophis in anger, the Orun Mountain region had been buried in volcanic ash.
Such a mistake wasn’t expected to be repeated…
“Go now! I’ll try to make it harder for it to detect your magic!”
Elvira cried out like that. It seemed she was planning to distract Priddy’s gaze with every magical tool and potion she had.
Surely that meant death, didn’t it?
Lucy stared at Elvira for a moment.
But Elvira, biting her lip hard, screamed.
“Don’t worry, remember what your aristocrat, who you couldn’t live without, said. I tend to agree quite a bit.”
“……”
“I will survive.”
Many had died in this world.
Only those filled with the will to survive clung to their breath until the end.
Elvira wasn’t much different.
Time was running out. Even Yenika, holding the heart of Bellbrook, couldn’t so easily summon highest-ranking spirit Priddy.
They had to cross the island before the process was completed.
Gritting her teeth, Lucy nodded and wrapped herself in flight magic.
After casting mid-class magic a dozen times, her power was already exhausted. She couldn’t use advanced magic like flight for long.
Even so, Lucy drew maximum magic power, skimming as close as possible to the sea surface, flying low.
Her cloak flapped in the wind, and the brim of her hat fluttered.
Holding onto her hat, as she flew northward to the island, a dazzling radiance erupted from the cliffside where Elvira stood. It was unclear what kind of magic it was, but it caused all the spirits in the vicinity to turn their gaze.
Several lower spirits noticed Lucy swiftly flying low, but she managed to suppress them without much trouble.
Continuing to throw elemental magic, Lucy subdued a few spirits as she finally reached the coast of the opposite island.
―Crash-ka-ka-ka!
In her rush, she lost control of her strength and tumbled several times onto the sandy beach.
With no change in her expression, Lucy stood up and shook off the sand.
She then looked up at the partially devastated Orun Mountain. Various unleashed spirits roamed around guarding it.
Even that terrifying scene made her body shiver just from watching, but with a long sigh, Lucy shook off all tension.
Wrapping herself in magic she had pulled forth, she began sprinting toward Orun Mountain.
* * *
―Woo-wooong.
It was a landscape that might as well be considered the end of an era.
Climbing Orun Mountain, Acken Island’s panorama was somewhat visible.
―Boom! Bang!
―Crash-ka-ka-ka!
Climbing the mountain and subduing spirits, a glance back shows horrific scenes everywhere.
There were no longer any signs of the swordsman who had been frolicking on the edge of the northern forest.
In the middle of the forest, fallen and covered in blood, gazing up at the incessant spirits’ horde—one could easily imagine Clevius’ figure.
Nor was there any trace of the radiance from the magic that had filled the cliffs.
Standing alone at the edge of the cliff, one could imagine the alchemist who had faced Pride’s ominous red glow.
Even the masses of spirits were flocking to the entrance of the underground waterway.
Lortelle’s figure leading the survivors and entering deeper into the research facility left by Professor Glast is also… easy to envision.
A dreadful world.
It’s a world one wouldn’t want to be aware of.
And yet, it was a possible world.
The absence of Ed Rothtaylor represented meaning.
Always close by, taken for granted every day.
Ed who would pat Lucy’s head thoroughly as she whined upon his lap and sighed deeply.
His presence had an enormous significance, more than Lucy ever realized.
Lucy could feel it, easy as breathing.
She missed Ed Rothtaylor. Naturally, that thought occurred to her.
If she meets him again, she wouldn’t bother with appearances; she would throw herself into his arms and tell him what kind of world she had seen.
How fortunate she was to have him in her life.
How his absence was as significant as a vast void. She wanted to explain, shamelessly, every bit of it.
Thank you for being alive.
His life had been full of thorny paths, and Ed had faced countless trials that could have made him want to give up.
Yet he survived, living through gritted teeth, remaining meaningful to an empty girl named Lucy.
Survival, for Ed, was but a natural act, akin to breathing.
However, to a girl named Lucy Mayrill, it was a vast salvation, a hope… something Ed surely didn’t know.
Therefore, Lucy simply wanted to convey that short message. While running up the mountain, wounded all over, that was all she could think of.
If she met Ed again, she resolved to tell him.
Thank you for being alive. I missed you so.
―Boom! Whoosh!
Gasping, Lucy continued upward toward the peak of Orun Mountain.
Eventually, Lucy reached the top of Orun Mountain.
She saw the ruins from the freshman class placement test and further inside… the large ‘Altar of Replacement’ next to an enormous stele.
A sizable ‘Altar of Replacement.’
There, a priest honoring Ed’s death… was offering prayers to the empty night sky.