18. Blood and eggs (1)
#18
“Where am I…?”
A day has passed since the successful applicants were announced. Ronan and Asher were walking in the forest early in the morning.
It was a shemo forest that had taken root in the immediate vicinity of the islands. Asher who continued to groan asked worriedly.
“Ro Ronan…are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Are you still worried about that? “I said it’s okay.”
Asher who could not sleep at all last night had a dark shadow over his eyes. It was because of the incident that Ronan and Schlieffen caused yesterday.
It felt like when I fell asleep assassins hired by Schlieffen would come and plunge a dagger into my heart.
“Still if you are a noble and suffer harm….”
Asher was afraid. It wasn’t just that I heard a story about a damn nobleman named Daerian the other day.
Not only did he stab the heir of the next highest royal family but he also broke his nose and ran away which was a cause for concern for anyone.
However Ronan shook his head resolutely.
“Schlieffen is a decent human being. “I just focus on certain situations.”
It was a confident voice. If he didn’t know Schlieffen well in the first place he wouldn’t have dealt with him.
Even though the time we met was short I could tell. If it were not for his pathological obsession with strength he was a man who could be called a model of proper nobility.
He valued trust and knew how to protect the weak without being bossy.
“So relax man. “I’m sure he blamed himself for what happened yesterday.”
“Is it really that bad…?”
“You can see that we didn’t get arrested in the morning.”
“After listening to it I see….”
Asher then breathed a sigh of relief. Ronan unfolded the parchment she was holding and tilted it this way and that.
A crude map showed the location of a ley line called the Penardo Spring. It was a map hand-drawn by Professor Ware Lion Baren.
“I’m really bad at drawing pictures. No should I say it’s amazing that he drew something like this with his slick hands…”
The entrance ceremony was 15 days later. Ronan decided to visit his ley line first before stopping by his hometown.
She suggested that Marja go with her but she couldn’t because she had to finish her top job.
“It’s definitely this way…”
It was a location where you could follow the river flowing inside Shemo Forest but it was not easy to find the river because the tall birch trees were lined up densely.
Ronan crumpled up the map and cursed.
“I can’t do this. Let me fly Asher. “Up to the top of the tree.”
“huh. Invisible Hand!”
Asher raised her staff. Ronan’s body rose into the air. Ronan who felt her noticeably faster speed let out an exclamation.
“Oh it’s really fast now?”
Ride comfort(?) has also noticeably improved. Before it felt like a child who couldn’t control his strength was grabbing it randomly but now it feels like it was being gently lifted by an older sister with soft hands.
In no time Ronan swung his sword all the way to the top of the tree. Crispy! The green ceiling was cut away and a panoramic view of Shemo Forest unfolded before my eyes.
I could see a long thin stream of water winding between beckoning trees.
****
Ronan insisted that she go on the water instead of having to walk for a long time along the river until her feet hurt.
“As I’m doing this I remember that time. “Time goes so fast.”
“Ugh….”
So the two people were lying side by side on the flimsy raft. Flocks of clouds were seen crossing the blue sky.
Ronan took the cigarette out of her mouth and held it out.
“Do you want to open it?”
“huh? “Oh no…it’s okay.”
“Aye you idiot.”
Ronan lit up his pipe again and inhaled her smoke as much as he could. Asher who was lying face down and dipping her fingers in the river water opened her mouth.
“Where did you learn how to make a raft?”
“In the military.”
“Old army? what….”
“There is such a thing man.”
Asher couldn’t believe it even when he saw it for himself. Ronan built a decent raft in less than an hour. It was one of the survival skills I learned while serving as a punitive soldier.
The raft made of logs and tough vines guided the boys in a much more comfortable manner than the land route. Ronan muttered.
“Anyway you’re telling me a ley line that only you know about. “That lion was really generous.”
“Are ley lines really that hard to find?”
“I guess so. “If you find just one you can make a fortune.”
Ronan recalled a conversation he had with an old man in the past. The old man who devoted his life to finding ley lines compared ley lines to a pool of mana.
A very rare pool that forms when mana wandering around the world becomes stagnant in one place for its own reasons.
“The moment it is announced that the ley line has been discovered it becomes the property of the empire. So it’s even harder to find. “Even if they discover it they don’t share the information.”
“why?”
“Even a single piece of stone there is as expensive as gold. Of course it depends on the case.”
In fact some adventurers called ley lines gold mines on the ground.
Mana stagnant in one place seeps into things around it turning ordinary stones into magic stones and nameless weeds into magical herbs.
Asher nodded his head as if he finally understood.
“That’s why you brought so many water bottles in your backpack. “I did something.”
“Because Penard was like ‘Sam’.”
Water also caused change. The water that came out of the water source located in the ley line became a substance similar to an elixir or potion.
That was why I filled my backpack with sacks and water bottles.
“Now that I think about it it might not have been discovered yet….”
Suddenly I remembered the ley lines I had visited by chance in my past life. At that time these ley lines had already been nationalized or had been exploited down to a drop of water and a blade of grass leading to devastation.
Ronan knew about five or six places and he didn’t think it would be a bad idea to visit them later.
“That’s right Ronan.”
“ok?”
“Is that egg okay? yesterday….”
“Oh right.”
Ronan took out Mar Fez’s egg from his inner pocket.
Her ugly appearance like crushed horse dung didn’t change but she looked a little prettier today. He was a major contributor to helping us escape from Schlieffen’s clutches.
Ronan muttered while looking at Al who was still silent.
“You’re not sulking like a girl are you?”
Al didn’t answer. It was natural. Ronan threw the egg into the air caught it and closed his eyes.
Ronan and Asher spent that night on the river. A cluster of brilliant stars that would not be strange even if they fell became their blanket.
Ronan dreamed of Marfez breathing fire and burning the islands and Schlieffen dancing and begging for his life.
****
The two arrived at Penardo Spring at noon the next day. The leaves of the trees affected by the ley lines were shining softly.
“Just here. “The air is nice.”
Water was bubbling up from the center of the small spring. Although it was small it seemed to be quite deep.
A bluish bush was growing at the spring. Rocks that had been discolored as a result of demonetization were growing sparsely.
“It’s more ordinary than I thought.”
Ronan tasted her as if it were bland. Although it had its own charm it was quite plain compared to the secret places he had seen so far.
“Hmm… something feels awkward. “Is it because of my mood?”
“Waaaaa….”
But Asher was different. He was showing a similar reaction to when he first saw the scenery of the system. Asher took a deep breath exhaled and muttered in admiration.
“I have never seen a place so rich in mana in my life.”
“What the fuck is any different? “I can’t see anything.”
“It’s just…a lot. Mana says yes. So much so that it can be seen.”
It felt like I could use much stronger magic now. The metaphor of mana being a pool was accurate. Mana which was normally spread out and invisible was scattered everywhere like fruit.
“Because my circle is dirty.”
Ronan sucked hard on his pipe. That damn mana mana mana.
At this point I decided that I would succeed in mana sensing even if it was dirty. At that time Asher who was slowly looking around opened his eyes wide.
“uh?!”
“What?”
“Ro Ronan! pocket!”
Asher extended his staff and pointed to Ronan’s pocket. Ronan shrugged his eyebrows.
“pocket? why?”
“egg…! Take out the eggs! Quickly!”
She seemed to him. The mass of mana swirled around her and was being sucked into Ronan’s pocket.
Ronan took out Marfez’s egg. Asher quickly nodded his head.
As if the mana in the air wasn’t enough the egg was also voraciously drinking the mana that had seeped into the ground and trees.
“What is going on?”
“Ah the egg is absorbing mana!”
Ronan tilted his head. It just felt strange to him because he couldn’t see it. It’s not even a dream but the egg absorbs mana? suddenly?
-Dismissal!
It was then. The shell which was reminiscent of dried poop began to crumble little by little. Ronan who was so shocked brought her face close to the egg.
“Is it hatching?!”
However contrary to Ronan’s expectations she did not crack.
However the color and texture were changing. The brown rough surface reminiscent of horse manure was turning into a smooth black color.
“…what?”
The egg changed its appearance over several minutes.
After completing the transformation Al was incredibly beautiful. The flawless eggshell was reminiscent of a black pearl.
Ronan patted her shell as if he was amazed.
“It’s going to turn really.” “It’s not some kind of caterpillar but the egg is molting.”
“The absorption continues.”
“At this point a steel beak or a flame feather are not enough. “Something more amazing has to come out.”
Although change occurred it was meaningless unless it hatched. Ronan grunted and put the egg back into her.
He approached the spring where water was gushing out. His own face was reflected on the continuously rippling surface of the water. His shaggy hair was piercing his eyes.
“ah.”
Suddenly a gust of wind passed through my head. I felt like I knew the identity of the sense of discomfort I had been feeling since coming here. Ronan’s mouth slowly opened.
“Aser.”
“huh?”
“Isn’t it a little strange?”
“…what?”
“Surely the lion saw this place and said it was a place where phantom species often gather?”
Asher tilted his head. It was an incomprehensible sound. Ronan’s hand rested on the hilt of his sword.
“Right…didn’t it?”
“Phantom species are much more picky than ordinary beasts. Of course where phantom species live many other animals will also live right?”
“…right?”
“But why can’t I see a single sparrow?”
Asher shut her mouth. As Ronan said not even the common bird sounds could be heard.
The only sounds were the sound of water bubbling from the spring and the sound of leaves rustling in the wind.
Suddenly a chill ran up the back of my neck.
“Ha…be prepared Asher.”
“What what?”
“It smells like blood.”
Ronan turned his head towards the wind.
The fishy scent of blood permeated the wind that tickled the back of his nose. The narrowed eyes flashed sharply.
“That kind of thing…!”
It was the moment when Asher hesitated and retreated. Ronan swung his sword in the air.
Tuk. The arrow cut in half fell to the floor.
Asher’s face turned pale.
“Hey!”
“There was a customer who came first.”
Ronan grabbed Asher by the scruff of his neck and threw him behind a nearby rock. The arrow flew again and hit the spot where he was.
Asher took a deep breath and looked at Ronan’s back. He was already running toward the direction the arrow came from. Asher grabbed his staff.
“Me too…!”
I couldn’t be a burden like last time. Asher mustered up his courage and pulled his head out of the rock. He pointed his wand at Ronan and chanted her spell.
“Invisible Hand.”
Kugugoong! Rocks and pieces of wood large and small began to float and rotate around Ronan’s body.
Two arrows flew from different directions and bounced off the rocks. Ronan looked back at Asher and grinned.
“It’s pretty good.”
“What is that kid?!”
A panicked cry was heard not far away. It was a place where bushes taller than a person grew densely.
After checking the direction Ronan kicked the ground and started running.
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