Vol 5: Chapter 57
The next day, I finished my preparation for a journey and headed for the elves’ country, the Sylvis Kingdom.
I wanted to know why she decided to return back to her kingdom. And if she did it for my sake – to sacrifice herself to help Lark, I really don’t want that.
「I’m off, Lark.」
I said my goodbye, looking up at the inn where Lark was staying.
Everything until now had been quite busy, but this time it was very quiet.
Dante-san and the others were busy since morning with arranging a magic ship, consulting with Lark’s companion Kook-san, and welcoming Non-san’s master.
So I departed alone today.
Non-san’s master is said to be a【Healing Magic】genius who is skillful enough to be in the top 10 in the Church, and she seems to have a lot of experience in treating patients with special medical conditions. Apparently, she detailed in a letter that she would examine the patient directly.
If so, we can leave matters to her while going to meet the “Sage of Medicine”.
Non-san’s intuition was that it would be difficult even for her master to cure Lark, so we still had to go see the sage.
「There you are, Reiji-dono.」
「Huh?」
The merchant I met at the town mayor’s residence last night, Yago-san, called out to me as I was looking for a horse-drawn carriage to enter the Keith Gran Federation from the coast.
He was fat and smiling like a merchant, but he was alert and attentive. Three brawny guards were escorting him.
「Yago-san… why are you here?」
「I heard that you were looking for a way to get to the Third Forest, Reiji-san.」
Last I heard, Yago-san had lost in the game of who gets to offer their magic airship to travel to the sage’s island. Though, I don’t know what kind of game he and the mayor conducted.
「Why don’t you board my ship? It goes through Valhalla, the capital of the Keith Gran Federation, but I can take you to the vicinity of the Third Forest. My ship is fast. More importantly, it can continue the journey even at night unlike a carriage.」
「Umm… are you sure?」
「Of course. As I said last night, it’s an honor to have the hero of Redgate on board my ship.」
「…I shall graciously accept your offer, then.」
I bowed my head. As Non-san said yesterday, it was better to learn to rely on others a little more.
「Oh, that’s great! Let’s depart immediately. Our ship is scheduled to leave today.」
「Thank you.」
「To tell you the truth, I wanted to talk a lot more last night, but it had gotten late before I knew it. So let’s share our stories during this trip…」
Yago-san tried to snoop on my skill orb last time, but right now, he simply gave off the vibe of a business enthusiast and a curious person. He may not be a bad person, surprisingly.
I boarded Yago-san’s large magic ship. The ship departed in the afternoon.
Although the ship is for transporting cargo, it could still accommodate about 100 people. My addition barely made a difference, it seems.
「Be safe, Lark.」
As the ship sailed away from the port, the town started disappearing into the distance.
Although it was a magic ship, it didn’t depend solely on magic tools for power but also on the wind. The sails were greatly expanded due to the east winds.
On the deck, I was thinking about various things while looking at the distant town.
About Lark. About Asha. About Silver Balance. About Zerry-san, who was not officially added into the party, but was treated as a fellow party member by everyone.
I also thought about Lady Eva.
「I wonder what she’s up to right about now…」
We said our farewells in the Lev Magic Empire. I have no idea when I can meet the young lady again.
I would like to see her as soon as possible, but I don’t know what is waiting for me in the Sylvis Kingdom.
「The Sylvis Kingdom is… part of the Keith Gran Federation.」
According to the information I procured in advance, the Third Forest is a territory under the direct control of King Geffert, the head of the Federation, but the elves claim that territory to be their “Kingdom” since the Federation recognizes the autonomy of the elves.
It seems to be a politically complicated mess.
I wouldn’t want Asha to go to a place like that.
「And the Keith Gran Federation… is also where the Sixth Mine is located.」
The place where I met Lark and my “life” in this world began in the true sense of the word.
The place where Lark obtained【Shadow King ★★★★★★】and I obtained【World Ruler ★★★★★★★★★★】.
Whenever I think about that mine, my heart gets riled up even now.
I was bound by contract magic and lived in false peace.
The criminal slaves smiled at me with a false heart, ate false meals, and drank false liquor.
But the truth was there too.
「Old man Hinga.」
The person who taught me the knowledge to live in this world.
What would that person say to me now?
What would he say if he knew what I was trying to do?
「Perhaps… I might be getting involved in something very bad.」
I noticed something when I found out that Lark had lost her sight.
【Shadow King】complemented even Lark’s lost vitality.
The ability of a 6-star skill cannot simply be to shoot black blades.
In the same vein as【World Ruler】, which could not only analyze information, but also allows the use of observed skills.
For skills with a high number of stars, there is an obvious way to use it, and another way to use it by learning in-depth.
In other words,
「I think there are still other uses for【World Ruler】, and also for【World Alliance】.」
This was just a hypothesis, but I had a strong feeling that【World Ruler】and【World Alliance】still had a lot more potential.
But that could also drive me into dangerous territory, like how Lark lost her sight and vitality by drawing an unreasonable amount of power from the skill orb.
No, I will almost certainly be in danger.
「I’m sure… old man Hinga would try to stop me. He would say something like it’s not good to be overambitious.」
I grasped the railing on the deck.
The town was no longer visible. I could only see an unfamiliar coastline.
I am about to step into an unknown world. However, if the knowledge cannot be obtained without plunging in, then there is no other choice.
In the coming adventures, this knowledge would be paramount, I felt.
My sense of danger has deepened following the events of Red Gate and Umibozu.
「I’m sorry, old man Hinga. I might have to disobey your teachings…」
I have made my resolve. I will explore the new abilities of【World Ruler】and【World Alliance】in order to protect my loved ones.
