39. Lodolan (1)
#39
Ronan succeeded in capturing Cirilla and Eduon alive. They were led and taken away by the soldiers who followed them. The soldiers took basic measures to prevent Cirilla from dying during the transport.
“The elf is bleeding heavily. “Bring potions and bandages.”
Cirilla’s left knee was cut cleanly off. Her bleeding stopped only after pouring the potion on her.
“What on earth is this? Are your limbs growing?”
On the other hand no such measures were taken for Edoon. Tentacles like sprouts were growing slowly from where his limbs were.
The soldiers carrying Edoon on the stretcher became contemplative. Ronan approached and snatched the torch held by one of the soldiers.
“Give it to me.”
“Oh!”
Chiiik! Ronan torched all four cuts. Ugh…! A groan of pain flowed from Edeon’s mouth as he fainted. The struggling tentacles shriveled and regeneration stopped.
It was a scene that made the food taste bad. Ronan muttered spitting on the floor.
“Nimi is this also some kind of magic?”
“I don’t know because I don’t have any knowledge in this area either.”
“No matter how cool magic is I don’t want to learn anything like this. But where are these bastards going? “There is something I must ask.”
“Well since this is a crime committed against the empire not an individual you will probably be escorted straight to Lodolan.”
“Rodolan? “A prison floating in the dawn sea?”
“okay. “The interrogators there will make you spit out everything they know.”
It was a place Ronan had also heard of. Rodolan the Fortress of Screams. A place where criminals who have harmed the empire are imprisoned and interrogated where screams and tears never cease.
Rodolan interrogators who are based on sadism and tenacity are said to literally ‘use any means necessary’ to obtain confessions from suspects.
“If you’re feeling uneasy I’ll arrange a private meeting to meet you so don’t worry too much.”
“Damn…you look great today instructor. “Really.”
It looks great. Upon hearing those words Nabirose’s eyes widened for an instant. She snorted and pointed to her La Mancha with the tip of her chin.
“Hmph it’s an unusual sword by the way. Was it made by Master Doron?”
“yes. “It’ll kill you right?”
Nabirose silently affirmed. The energy emanating from the sword body was unusual. If it weren’t for my physical skills as an instructor I would have wanted to change it and try swinging it later.
“Anyway you worked hard Ronan. “I plan to report the achievements of you and your friends to the principal as soon as possible.”
“I just did it because I could.”
“Because this incident took place in a secret location it will not be possible to receive the award in public but there will definitely be separate praise. “As someone who is indebted to Gran Cappadocia I would like to express my gratitude.”
Nabirose grinned. The curved corners of her eyes were sad. Come to think of it it was the first time I saw him smile properly.
Maybe he really is a good person like Adeshan said. With that in mind Ronan burned Eduon’s limbs with the torch once more. Chiiik!
“Kuhuhuhhh…!”
Ronan headed to Gran Cappadocia with Nabirose. Rescue work was in full swing at the ruined blacksmith shop. Phileon’s training staff the imperial army in light uniforms were busy moving people and supplies.
“there! Clear away the debris first. “Be careful not to damage the equipment that is still intact.”
“yes! Major Avar! “I’m glad I got it like this!”
“How long has it been since you were discharged from the military Major? Let’s cheer up a little more!”
Avar the imperial swordsmanship instructor was commanding the soldiers. Dozens of animal-shaped spirits were carrying the debris. An elf with pierced ears presumed to be a spiritist was watching the scene with a long cigarette in his mouth.
“Whahahaha! You’re still not good enough little brother. “It’s been a while since I last saw you so what is this?”
The appearance of Gidokan a hunting instructor was also seen. He was chuckling as he handed water to Didican who was sitting against the wall. It was impressive to see Didican who was much larger in stature behaving so politely.
“I’m sorry brother.”
“You deserve to be sorry! If I had the same mind I would teach him Kidokan-style self-defense right away… but for now I have to go down there. “There might be people left!”
“Brother you are always full of energy. Thank you for your hard work….”
Gido Khan fluffing his nose ran towards the mine. As Ronan expected he was making a significant contribution to finding the wounded.
Didi Khan made eye contact with Ronan and raised his hand in greeting.
“Oh Ronan. “Did you have a good time meeting the King of the Cave Giants?”
“There was something even greater. “We also found a new site for Gran Cappadocia.”
“Buji…?”
Ronan who saw Didican’s behavior grinned. Although he still looked haggard most of the injuries that had littered his body were gone.
Sita probably healed it. Didican said pointing with his thumb to a corner of the ruins.
“By the way your friends are gathered over there. I am indebted to you beyond words. thank you so much.”
“It’s okay you saved Doron.”
“It’s not just because of old Doron. “There are a lot of people injured but there are very few deaths.”
Suddenly Didi Khan stood up shaking his legs. He bowed in half and thanked Ronan.
“You saved not only Gran Cappadocia but the future of smelting. Thank you so much. “I won’t forget.”
It was such a huge thank you. Ronan smiled shyly and headed toward the place Didican had mentioned.
It was a place to lay down the wounded who had not yet been moved to the ground. The injured were lying and groaning on long mats laid out in a row.
“Can I leave it there?”
“That’s right. “The young lady still has a lot of strength….”
Before long I saw Marya carrying five boxes of relief supplies. She exclaimed happily upon spotting her Ronan.
“Ronan is alive!”
“So he lived or he died?”
Marja put down the box. She came forward with her arms wide open and hugged Ronan.
“Why are you hurt so much?”
“I blocked the Giant King’s fist with my sword.”
“You’re saying something strange again….”
“But can you please let me go soon miss? “I’m really dying.”
His large chest made it difficult to breathe. Marya her face red hastily pulled away from her. Ronan who looked around her scene tapped her shoulder and said.
“great job. “I brought a lot with me.”
“huh. Everyone seemed to take the job more seriously than I thought so I did something… and it was worth it. “What exactly happened down there?”
“I’ll explain it properly when I get back. “It’s a long story.”
“Oh thank you for your hard work!”
Ronan passed Marja and walked after her. Asher and Sita were lying side by side in the most comfortable position. Ronan squatted down by their bedside.
“You had a hard time.”
“Huh…Huh…Ugh…Ronan?”
“Piyaaaaa….”
It was noticeable that both of them looked clearly haggard. This was because too much energy was used up in the rescue operation. Ronan continued while scratching Sita’s stomach.
“Your skills have improved Asher. “You just became an archmage.”
“Oh no…I have nothing….”
“At times like this act confident man. “If it weren’t for you all those dwarves would have been lying in the ground without even having to dig a grave.”
“That kind of….”
“I was able to do it thanks to you and Marya. Thank you for following me from Nimburton. Asher.”
Ronan said calmly. Asher’s large eyes filled with moisture. Sita who was rolling around with her wings outstretched cried out as if she was sad.
“Ttaaa!”
“Sita you too.”
It was he who killed the giants and eliminated the culprit but a sword is just a sword. This would not have been possible without the help of people around me. Ronan once again realizing the importance of her talent said with a smile.
“Then I’ll come back. “I’m resting.”
“Uh…where are you going?”
“I have two bastards to hang and beat.”
Ronan followed Nabirose and the convoy soldiers to the ground.
After walking for about an hour up and down the winding road the open night sky unfolded before his eyes. The wind that swept through his lungs was incomparably refreshing compared to the one underground.
“This is…”
Below the distant cliff a turquoise forest was swaying. Ronan’s eyes widened at the scene that gave him a feeling of déjà vu. A place I stopped by when visiting Penardo Spring. It was Shemo Forest a short distance from the island.
“The time has come…”
The officer in charge of the convoy looked at his pocket watch. Soon something huge flew quickly from beyond the night sky. It was a convoy pulled by two griffons dispatched from Lodolan.
-Puiyooooo!
“It’s no joke really.”
Ronan stuck out his tongue when he saw the griffon. The guards dispatched from Rodolan were dressed entirely in black clothes and wore masks shaped like bird beaks.
They placed additional restraints on Cirilla and Eduon who had already become idiots. Cyril who came to her senses belatedly opened her eyes wide and shouted something.
“Wait…Eup…Eup!…Eup!!”
Deep. One of the guards saw this and stuck a syringe into Cirilla’s neck. As the green drug flowed in Cirilla lowered his head.
The handover was completed in less than five minutes. The guards who remained silent until the end boarded the convoy with the two men. Ronan shook his head as if he was fed up.
“They are such quiet people. “I wouldn’t be welcome at a party or something like that.”
“You know how to distinguish between unnecessary actions.”
The soldiers hesitated and retreated due to the wind pressure generated by the griffon’s flight. Ronan relaxed only after the convoy became a dot and disappeared.
Ronan returned to Gran Cappadocia and helped the people. The rescue operation was completed around noon the next day.
“I’m here Lucy….”
“oh! Why are you looking like that? “What happened?”
“I’ll get some sleep first… By the way… I’ll take off my socks…”
dump. Ronan returned to the dormitory with a hurried pace and fell down on the bed. Only after sleeping throughout the day was he able to shake off the fatigue that had accumulated in his body.
“…What is this?”
When Ronan opened his eyes two days later there was a letter and Sita curled up at his bedside. Ronan yawned and tore open the seal.
Ronan’s eyes widened as he slowly read his letter.
“…already?”
The letter from Rodolan notified that the interrogation of the two men was over.
****
The sound of the waves was rough. The salty sea breeze was ruffling my hair. The elderly man who came to meet me bowed and greeted me.
“Thank you both for your hard work on the long journey. Didn’t you feel uncomfortable?”
“It’s okay.”
“It wasn’t bad. Although his ass almost got split horizontally.”
Butterfly Rose kept her promise to make room for him.
The afternoon of the day I received the letter. Ronan and Nabirose traveled to Lodolan in a vehicle pulled by a griffon. The ride was the worst but I was able to endure it because the sunset view from the sky was so beautiful.
“Thank goodness. “Then follow me.”
The old man smiled softly and turned around. The man dressed in black had a bird-beak mask hanging from his waist but it was different from the one the guards had used before. Nabirose said.
“He is an interrogator not a jailer. “Among the many nightmares that prisoners of Rodolan have to live with this is a particularly terrible one.”
“Are you an old man who likes people like that?”
“Don’t you know that you can’t judge the world based on appearances alone? “I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing anyway.”
“why?”
“Even if you think about it a thousand times it’s not a place worth bringing a student to. “If it wasn’t for you who caught them I wouldn’t have brought you here no matter what.”
With butterflies I frowned at him as if I was displeased. Ronan lifted his head and looked at Dolan through the Fortress of Screams. This huge pointed structure rising in the middle of the sea looked like a reef that could cause any ship to run aground.
When the door to Rodolan opened an unexpectedly sophisticated and clean space came into view. Ronan thought this was a pretty good place to work. Only for deaf people.
Torn screams and sobs were echoing from all directions.
“Aaaah! “Stop stop!!”
“Kill me please kill me…!”
“Ihi…ihihihi….”
Ronan followed his man deeper into the fortress. There were thick iron doors on both sides of the long hallway. Different screams were coming from beyond each door.
I must have walked along the maze-like path for about thirty minutes. Finally the old man stopped.
“We have arrived.”
In front of him was a door that looked much thicker and sturdier than any he had ever seen. The old man holding out a long complicated-looking key turned to the two people and said.
“The officially written document will be reported later but first I will briefly tell you what I found out in Lodolan. Nebula Clage. “That is the name of their organization.”
“Nebula Clage?”
Ronan tilted his head. It was a name I had never heard of in my previous life.
“yes. They were behind the large unexplained accidents that have occurred across the continent over the past year. “The cross-verification has been clearly completed including the great fire that swept through Nalanda’s granary and the explosion that occurred at Etemen the Magic Engineering Research Institute.”
The old men are Cirilla and Edeon. So I listed the crimes committed by Nebula Clazier. These were all serious crimes that could have a significant impact on a specific field. After listening to the old man’s explanation Ronan raised his hand and asked a question.
“Did you even say what ‘the coming of the stars’ is?”
“That’s… this is my first time hearing it. Was there such a thing?”
“is it so? They’re terrible guys. “Let me ask you something.”
“I thought I had let this all out but there was still something I was hiding….”
A crack-like smile appeared on the old man’s face. Ronan almost put his hand on the hilt of his sword due to the eerie energy that came out for a moment.
He pressed the bird-beak mask from his belt onto his face. It was a mask reminiscent of an eagle devouring a corpse.
“I’d like to ask the old woman. You may not know Nabirose but Ronan is still a young student. He is worried that this may shock his young mind. Are you sure you don’t mind?”
“I was the one who cut off the limbs of those kites.”
“Hehehe… It will look different than it did back then.”
Without asking any more questions the old man put his key in the door slot. The door opened with the sound of dozens of locks moving. A terrible groaning sound that could not be believed to have been made by a human came out quietly.
“Aaaah…woo….”
“Kruk! Shut up….”
“Fuck.”
Ronan narrowed his eyes when he saw Edeon and Cirilla. If shown to a hundred people ninety-nine people excluding the blind would vomit or faint.
A humorous voice came out from under the inquisitor’s bird-beaked mask.
“Did you have good dreams?”
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