< 53. Baidian Mountains (2) >
#53
Ronan lowered his sword. The middle-aged elf finally breathed a sigh of relief. He said picking up the basket that had fallen on the floor.
“I am a priest who serves Seniel. “It seems like there must be a reason for you to come to this rough terrain.”
“Seniel?”
“yes. It’s an old soul. Now very few people remember his name…I just assumed that a pilgrim had come to serve him.”
Seniel. It was my first time hearing this name. The man began to pick up the herbs and mushrooms that had spilled out of the basket. Ronan followed suit and helped pick it up.
“Ah thank you for your help.”
“It’s because of me that they upset me so it’s natural. But are you eating all of this?”
Ronan frowned. All of the strangely shaped weeds were things I had never seen before. The man picked up a root as black as the devil’s beard and laughed.
“These are very good herbs. “It is a species that can only be found in places like here where mana accumulates.”
“Just looking at what it looks like I wouldn’t be surprised if it grew a tail on its butt… but since you say that I’m curious.”
“Please come in. I will bring you even a small car. “It’s been a long time since I met someone who wasn’t a pilgrim.”
“Good. “By the way I have a group of people can I bring them?”
“Ah somehow I felt like I was popular. Of course.”
The elf man readily accepted Ronan’s offer. Before long Asher and Marya Braum arrived in front of the temple. They all looked around amazed at the fact that a temple was built in such a rough place. The man brought her palms together and bent her waist.
“La Seniel. It is called Sarante Remation.”
“Remation?”
Ronan frowned upon hearing the last name Remation. The castle of Cirilla an elf imprisoned in Rodolan was Remation.
But she didn’t raise any objections. Due to the custom of nobles using the name of the mother tree as their surname it was common for surnames to overlap and Remation was a particularly common surname. Ronan and the others also took turns exchanging greetings.
“It’s Ronan.”
“Oh hello…I’m Asher.”
“Hello Sarante. My name is Marja Carabel.”
“Wahaha! It’s none other than Braum!”
Sarante put her hands together again and then led her group to the temple. The rectangular interior had an ascetic yet quiet atmosphere unique to the temple. Marja muttered stroking the wall where her relief was carved.
“This is an architectural style I’ve never seen before.”
Most structures including chairs and platforms were made of stone. It looked rough at first glance but if you paid close attention you could see that it had been polished with very delicate workmanship. Ronan’s eyes which were examining the temple stopped at one place.
“Is this…?”
There was an ugly rock sticking out in the center of the temple. In a temple of another religion this was the location where important things such as sacred relics or an altar would have been placed. At that time Sarante’s voice was heard from behind.
“Oh that’s Seniel’s new statue.”
“God? this?”
Ronan frowned. The image of God could not be found anywhere on the rock that looked like leftover corn. Only the time and effort this stone had gone through was conveyed through its worn surface.
It was a very strange religion. Ronan who was thinking about something for a moment opened his mouth. Deep down it was a car that I was very concerned about like the Cirilla.
“Hey Sarante.”
“hmm? “Why are you doing that?”
“Would you like to repeat what I say without asking anything? “The arrival of the stars is the day when starlight comes down.”
Saran Te tilted his head. Ronan was ready to pull the hilt at any moment.
“What does that mean?”
“I’ll let you know soon. Just try it out. hurry.”
All eyes of the group were focused on Sarante. Marja suddenly began to sharpen his greatsword and Braum stood blocking his entrance pretending to look at his relief. Finally Saran Te opened her mouth.
“Of course. “The arrival of the stars is the day when starlight comes down.”
“hmm.”
“Now can you tell me what you mean? “Is this something like a popular spell in the outside world these days?”
Sarante followed Ronan’s words without changing his expression. The same thing happened when I asked Ahayute to say something insulting.
Ronan then felt relieved and took his hand off the hilt of his sword. He briefly explained about an organization called Nebula Clage. Saran Te smiled bitterly and shook his head.
“There have always been forces that throw the world into chaos with false beliefs. Come to think of it I think there was a similar organization during the reign of Rixoda VII…”
“Rixoda…?”
Ronan narrowed his eyes. It was a name I had only heard about in history class. It was a kingdom that ruled the central part of the continent when the Thousand Year Empire Balon was still a small country on the border. Sarante who interpreted Ronan’s silence laughed as if he was embarrassed.
“Well it looks like the owner of this land has changed again.”
“How old are you?”
“I don’t know either. “I stopped counting my age more than a thousand years ago.”
Ronan shook his head. When he talked to the long-lived races he often felt that his common sense was being destroyed. Sarante has been asking various questions about the current situation on the continent.
“Wow that demon dragon Orse has been routed. This is really amazing. “I never thought the status of mortals would have risen so high.”
“The war between the first emperor and Orsay is now a story only in fairy tales.”
“I guess I should try to hear news from the outside world at least once every hundred years… Ah enjoy. “This is a tea that can only be tasted here in Baidian.”
After finishing the conversation Saran Te handed his group a steaming tea cup. The blue-colored tea had a scent that seemed to maximize the scent of all kinds of herbs.
“Oh thank you.”
Although the ideological verification was over he could not let down his guard yet. Ronan drank his tea only after seeing Sarante empty his cup. The moment the hot liquid passed down his throat Ronan’s vision turned hazy.
“uh? Why is this…”
Ronan blinked repeatedly. Sarante’s low laughter was heard from beyond my blurred vision.
“Hehehe…I hope you like it.”
“Whose eyes!”
“What is this…!”
A panicked cry was heard from another group member. Damn did they put poison in it? The car Ronan was trying to pick up was La Mancha. Suddenly my blurry vision cleared up and my eyes felt refreshed as if I had entered a mint field.
“…are you feeling refreshed?”
“Hehe…I’m sure it’s not just that.”
The fatigue in my eyes had completely disappeared. Sarante was smiling in satisfaction as he looked at the confused group. Asher who was looking around him at that time burst out in admiration.
“Damn it mana…! “It looks so good…!”
“Whahaha! “This is amazing. Did I become an Auror?”
Braum unable to control his excitement got up from his seat. Ronan continued to rub his eyes as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. The mana floating around her was visible several times more clearly.
“Nimi what is this….”
It looked like her eyeballs had been taken out washed in potion and then put back in. Her range became much wider and she was even able to catch glimpses of the mana in people’s bodies albeit faintly.
Unless you were born with the qualities of a wizard it was originally a vision that could only be acquired by reaching the level of Auror enlightenment. Ronan said with a laugh.
“What the hell did you feed me?”
“It is a tea made by mixing herbs that increase mana affinity. “It’s only a temporary effect now but if you drink it consistently it will definitely help improve your friendliness in the long run.”
“Thank you very much but this is scary.”
“Hehe…please take this too.”
Saran Te held out her large sack. Inside her was a bunch of herbs like the ones he had in the basket. Sarante also gave each member of her group a sack and even taught them the recipe for her tea.
“If you have time how about staying for a few days?”
“Stay and go?”
“yes. If you feel uncomfortable it is okay to refuse. However it is very rare to have the opportunity to talk with such young and promising people.”
In fact even if she were a pilgrim she would have been an old elf like Sarante who had been at least a thousand years old.
Ronan looked back at the group. He seemed to be busy marveling at the efficacy of this suspicious tea.
“I’m fine but what about you?”
“I like it. “To ride that horse you need to prepare your mind a little…”
“I agree too. “It would be great if I could know more about ley lines.”
“Whahaha! I don’t care! “Can you please give me one more glass of this?”
The group all voted in favor. Ronan who was silent also nodded his head. It was an offer too good to turn down with only the slightest reservations.
“Then I will take care of you. “Please take care of me Sarante.”
“Please take care of me.”
That’s how my short life at the temple began. Sarante treated Ronan and his party with the utmost hospitality. He did not stop them from collecting the by-products of the ley line but instead helped them take better things.
That afternoon Sarante took his group into a cave. It was a place with such a high density of mana that even the stalactites had undergone magical petrification. Sarante opened his mouth pointing to the magic stones scattered deep in the cave.
“What do you think? The magic stones I get here are pretty good.”
“The hexagrams are not just good…most of them are magic stones that are worthy of being of the highest grade…!”
“If you need it feel free to take it. “They are beings that have meaning when someone uses them.”
Marya’s eyes grew so big that they almost seemed like they would pop out. She said that she would definitely repay him and put her carefully selected magic stones into her backpack. That night after a rewarding day. Sarante caught a large wild boar.
“Let’s have this for dinner tonight. “It tastes great because it contains Baidian’s mana.”
“…Are you an elf?”
“Huh I guess the prejudice won’t go away until the elves become extinct. Of course there are many of my compatriots who avoid meat-eating but those who revere Seniel like me do not care. “Death is not the end but the beginning of a cycle.”
Sarante had a different way of thinking from the elves he had seen so far. Unlike other devils who shoot arrows at even a single rabbit killed in their territory he was not afraid of nature being consumed.
At the back of the temple a fire pit was prepared for grilling meat. Sarante cooked and served wild boar meat with great skill.
As expected the meat filled with mana was on a different level from anything she had ever eaten. She muttered softly as she watched her companions frantically tearing at the meat.
“Hehehe… I’ll show you a more special meat tomorrow.”
Ronan’s eyes widened when he accidentally heard those words. Several terrible possibilities flashed through her mind.
Just looking at Sarante’s expression I wouldn’t be surprised if Asher disappeared tonight and the next day meat that I had never seen before appeared on the table. Marja’s tragedy begins when she discovers her red hair stuck in her teeth.
‘yes. I said you were strangely kind but now you are showing your true colors.’
But despite Ronan’s concerns the night passed without incident. Sarante caught a huge deer for lunch the next day. It was a deer larger than most reindeer.
‘…What the fuck?’
Ronan frowned. Saran Te seeing his expression tilted his head.
“Hmm? “Is there anything that makes you feel uncomfortable?”
“No… I just heard you talking about special meat yesterday and your expression was unusual. “I guess I misunderstood.”
“Hot…! Did you see that…?”
“yes. “I knew for sure one of us would come to the table.”
“Ah…I’m sorry if I made you anxious. “It’s been a while since our precious guests came to visit us so we were understandably excited.”
Saran Te scratched her head as if she had no shame. The venison was brought to the table right away that evening. The taste was amazing perhaps because it was truly a special meat. Ronan who had cut off one of his hind legs nodded his head.
‘I was too sensitive.’
At this point I had to admit it. Sarante was just a nice old man. Suddenly the question arose as to who destroyed the temple where such a worthy man lived.
‘It doesn’t seem like someone did it out of spite.’
Ronan who contrasted the fact that the temple was still standing and the sense of time felt in the ruins came to the conclusion that the series of acts of destruction would occur sooner or later.
Ronan searched through his memories and recalled a scene of ruins. There was no sense of malice or intent in the ruins of the temple which had been completely destroyed with only a few pillars remaining.
Ronan began to narrow down strong candidates who could make the temple look like that. As a rule of thumb there were three candidates and even if I couldn’t do anything about one I thought I could handle two.
‘It just worked out. My body was itching too.’
Ronan gathered the group together that night in Sarante’s absence. Marya woke up from her sleep and yawned and asked.
“Aaaam…what’s going on at this time of night?”
“I suddenly had a good idea.”
“wrinkle…?
“Let’s clear out the nearby orc villages before we leave here. “I’m going to look for more Curse Eyes.”
“what?”
The eyes of the group including Marya opened brightly. I suddenly wondered what kind of nonsense this was. Ronan continued his speech with a cigarette in his mouth.
“We are all indebted to that old man. “After eating I have to work.”
“That’s true but….”
“And there’s nothing like practical experience to improve your skills. Right Asher?”
“Heeeeeek…!”
Asher took a step back. Ronan had the same smile on his face as when he suggested going to steal the Luna Goblin’s wealth.
“Everyone follow me.”
Ronan reluctantly dragged his group up to the top of the mountain. A panoramic view of the vast Baidian Mountains came into view. Ronan pointed to the lights fluttering here and there.
“Those are all fucking orc villages. “You can think of about 100 to 300 animals living in each village.”
“Four to three hundred…!”
“We’re going to get rid of that all today or tomorrow. I assure you that it will be a pretty good experience.”
It didn’t take long for Ronan to realize that he wasn’t joking. The faces of the group turned completely white.
“Um…all of that?”
There seemed to be at least six villages. Even though each orc was strong there were too many of them. Ronan continued as if he had read the minds of his colleagues.
“I know what you’re thinking. “Are you saying that because you think it will take a fucking long time?”
“Honestly yes. No matter how well you fight your physical strength will reach its limit!”
Braum said with a serious expression. The moment I got even the slightest bit tired I would be overtaken by orcs. Ronan said exhaling smoke.
“Don’t worry about that. “There are only a few of them that we will ever cross swords with.”
“hmm?”
Ronan smiled and looked at the orc villages. They were all gathered together and built in a good location for living. Behind the riverside of the cave in front of the cliff that serves as a barrier… He looked back at Asher who was very scared and opened his mouth.
“Fighting and killing are completely different.”
