Volume 3 Chapter 116-2 The Last Shadow (Shadow)
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The objective facts are as described above, but linking Rean’s recovery to Lyritisse’s coma causally is a leap in logic.
They should not change their opinion of him or hold strange preconceptions.
Investigating his situation should be left to Ninini and Vestacia, who have learned about Lyritisse’s coma.
”Rean will probably want to help Vestacia.”
”Likely. He’ll try to follow even if it’s impossible. That’s why finding the teleportation circle Barghest left behind is necessary. Without it, they’ll have to take him with them as things stand.”
”So, if they take him to the ancient temple and he gets badly injured, it becomes their responsibility.”
”Exactly. Well, I’ll leave the actual decision to you. Whether you leave him or take him with you, I’ll handle it, so don’t worry. But please make a careful choice if possible.”
”Understood.”
”Shall they head back soon?”
Sarah stands up, still holding Kian’s arm.
Kian nods and stands up.
His cold body has become much warmer.
”Hehe, when was the last time they slept in the same bed?”
”I don’t know, but I think there will be countless chances from now on.”
”That’s right! While Ms. Christy is away, I can monopolize you!”
With a full smile, Sarah leans close, and Kian decides to escape reality.
For now, if they don’t find Barghest’s teleportation circle, they can’t move.
* * *
From morning until evening, Kian repeatedly dowsed for Spiritual Veins in the Great Forest.
As a result, he found several large Spiritual Veins, but he saw no trace of the wedge Barghest had driven in, nor any facility hiding teleportation magic circles.
It is certain that there is no teleportation gate set up in the Great Forest, and it is clear that Barghest destroyed all the wedges to trap Kian and the others in the north.
The original plan was to use three days for Rean’s recovery, during which time Spiritual Vein dowsing was supposed to be done. But after two days, it seems questionable if there’s any point in continuing the third day.
It’s starting to feel like they could head out to explore the ancient temple, where Vestacia might be trapped.
While wondering how to convince Rean and Ninini, Kian returned to the camp, only to feel Sarah’s magic power inside the barrier.
Fearing something might have happened, Kian rushed toward the square and, as expected, saw Sarah walking back and forth in an irritated manner.
”Welcome back, Kian. A major incident has occurred.”
”Where are the others?”
Kian tossed the deer he brought as a gift onto the cooking space without a fire.
Sarah rubbed her forehead and spoke.
”Mr. Rean has disappeared. According to a note left by Ms. Ninini, ‘We are going hunting in the swamp together.’”
”Hunting? What are you talking about?”
Kian looked up at the sky above the camp.
The trees surrounding the square were darkened by the evening twilight, and the sky visible between the trees had lost much of its orange hue. Complete sunset was only about ten minutes away.
”When did you return?”
”Just now. It seemed like you were struggling with the Spiritual Vein dowsing, so I thought I’d help.”
”Did you return after gathering the materials for the Elixir?”
”No. The only missing ingredient was the raw SpoonWing liver. I gathered the necessary amount by noon, made the potion, and then went straight to dowsing.”
”By the way, did you find the teleportation facility?”
”No. It seems that wasn’t found either.”
”Ah. But right now, it’s about Rean and the others.”
Kian lowered his backpack and opened the door to Rean’s bed.
Inside, it was empty, with Ninini’s lockpicking tools and small items scattered around.
After Kian and Sarah, who could probably stop Rean with their strength, left, Rean must have tried to escape from this barrier.
Ninini tried to stop him, but she was no match for Rean’s strength.
Therefore, before Rean could knock her out, she probably offered to be his attendant and left a note.
”Ms. Ninini and Mr. Rean’s footprints lead outside the barrier, toward the swamp.”
”They must follow them soon. If they run into ‘Storm Herd’ or thorn monsters, Rean’s current condition might make it hard to deal with them.”
”Wait. Ms. Serena is also missing.”
”Isn’t she just late returning?”
”Maybe, but it’s already sunset, right? She came back earlier yesterday.”
”I see. Serena was on cooking duty. It’s a bit strange for her not to have returned by this time.”
Serena is serious, so it’s unlikely she would skip cooking duty and wander around somewhere.
She had the task of searching nearby villages for a magician who could activate Rean’s tachyonian cells, in case Kian couldn’t find the teleportation facility and Rean didn’t recover.
She would stop by taverns for recruitment and cut through dangerous swamps and wilderness.
It wouldn’t be surprising if she got caught up in some trouble along the way.
”There’s no horse. The last one was taken by Mr. Rean and the others.”
”I’ll go to the swamp. Can I leave the search for Serena to you?”
”No, it’s the opposite. If Mr. Rean and the others are down in the swamp, I’m the only one who can help. You go look for Ms. Serena.”
”But the swamp is dangerous.”
Bloodsucking Kind will not be a threat to Kian.
They can all be instantly killed with charm and Leap.
On the other hand, if Sarah encounters them, she will have to fight.
”Can you heal like I do? Can you prepare Elixir?”
”…I see. I can’t even cast barriers to protect Rean and others.”
”That’s right.”
He deeply dislikes his only skill being fighting.
Unfortunately, he had to leave the swamp area to Sarah.
”If needed, abandon Rean and Ninini. Your life is more important.”
”That comment, as an Adventurer, is not good… But I will handle it. I will watch out for the thorn monster. I have a plan, so we can manage if we meet.”
”If Rean and Ninini pass through the swamp and go to find the ancient temple, come back. Serena and I will figure out what to do.”
”In case of the worst, the worst-case scenario I can think of.”
Sarah throws her dowsing tool and chants a spell, creating a spider-shaped golem.
”Do you need a ride?”
”No. I will run.”
”Be careful. Let’s meet here again at dawn. Whether the search succeeds or fails.”
Kian nods and runs toward the southwest where Serena was supposed to look for allies.
He jumps onto a branch and moves through the shallow forest like a monkey.
Back behind, Sarah’s sounds of leaving camp on her golem can be heard.
* * *
Serena’s horse hoofprints go straight toward the southwest.
They pass through relatively firm ground in the swamp, and the footprints are clear.
If these footprints are from yesterday rather than today, that’s a problem.
But he wants to believe that this morning she said she would look at the village to the southwest.
Two hours of running turn the ground into a field of tall blue grasses, making the footprints hard to see.
Especially with the wind picking up at night, it gets worse.
The horse’s trail of trampling through bushes and tall grass gets erased by the wind.
Kian slows his pursuit and carefully searches for the hoofprints left in the field.
”A village to the southwest…”
Kian looks up at the white moon floating in the sky and whispers.
Several villages circle around the merchant city Ramsey in this area.
Southwest points toward the merchant city Ramsey. As they get closer, villages become larger and more numerous. Serena’s exact path and how far she recruited are completely unknown.
’If she’s turning back, it’s not strange to have met her along the way.’
”Leaving camp, two hours through the swamp, thirty minutes across the plains. Still no sound of horses neighing.”
The sun had long since set.
Howling wolves and the sounds of deer running echoed from various parts of the plains.
’Would it be better to attach this one?’
”────”
To meet Serena, he puts on his glasses again to become the same person.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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