[164] A Late Lunch (3)
"Sigh, I never thought a day like this would come. Maybe I can live a little differently now?"
Her wounds weren't healed, but at least she had broken out of her shell. Now all that remained was to carve out a life while still feeling the pain of the past.
"What are you going to do from now on? I heard there might be trackers after you."
Freeman said.
"We'll leave. We started as mercenaries, so we'll live as mercenaries. The others would want that too. Of course, in this country they ridiculously branded us as bandits."
Marsha's eyes clouded. Mercenaries were fighters. Because she accepted the possibility of death at any moment, she could bury comrades' deaths in her heart and still smile.
She'd never fought for some great cause or for a flimsy sense of justice. But she'd always been proud and never shied from an enemy who challenged her.
At the very least, Marsha wanted them remembered as brave warriors. They shouldn't be buried under the label of bandits.
Tess, understanding Marsha, offered some comfort.
"Honestly, bandit and mercenary are only a hair's breadth apart. In some ways a knight and a mercenary are, too. They're people who fight for what they believe in and end up buried for it. The side that loses politically becomes the villain, but the tide can turn someday."
Rian thought along similar lines. Shirone and Amy, who pursued scholarship, might not understand, but anyone who dreamed of becoming a knight had to be prepared for that.
"My family was threatened once, too. We said we'd stay neutral. Come to think of it, Tess, your father must've had a rough time."
"Yeah. Here my father's a hero, but in the colony he's treated like an invader. That's politics."
Marsha smiled. She knew Rian and Tess had shared those words for her sake.
She still distrusted the world, but she'd come to believe there were sincere people, too.
"What warm kids. Just like Shirone's friends."
Marsha propped her chin on the table like a lazy cat and slouched back. Savoring the long-awaited peace, she lifted a finger and pointed at Shirone.
"What about you lot? Going to spend your time sightseeing now?"
"Ah, we're heading to the Kergo Ruins."
"Kergo? What would a young couple go there for?"
"Well, actually…"
Shirone told them why they'd come to the island. Marsha, listening with interest, nodded as if surprised.
"Oh? So the ruins hold that secret. I've been away from the island, so I didn't know the details. Freeman, did you know?"
"To some extent. I heard stories from the natives."
"I see. So you want to enter the Kergo autonomous district?"
"Yes. But the difficulty of the Room of Achievement and Sacrifice is so high I'm not sure we can pass."
"If you can't get in, is there nothing you can do?"
"Probably. I have one idea, but it's not certain."
Freeman, who'd heard that far, spoke up.
"If that's the case, we can help."
"Huh? The Room of Achievement and Sacrifice?"
"No. Even if you don't pass through that place, you can still get into the autonomous district. Falcoa seems to have had dealings with them. If you show a pass from Freeman's group they'll let you in. Falcoa was pretty capable at that sort of thing."
Shirone's group stared blankly. The idea of entering the natives' autonomous district without taking the test was new to them.
Amy tilted her head.
"Wouldn't that mean the route is different? If two routes existed from the start, they wouldn't need the test's gateway, right?"
"I don't know. What's certain is both routes arrive at the same place. People who entered by passing the test's gateway confirmed that."
Hearing that, Shirone grew puzzled. He'd expected that passing the test would at least put them in a different area.
"It's the same place, but one route requires the test. Why would they do that?"
Tess said.
"No idea. Maybe it's tradition—older cultures keep odd customs. Another possibility is they do it to avoid suspicion."
"How would that help?"
"It gives the impression the autonomous district is nothing special. We ourselves lowered our expectations about the Room of Achievement and Sacrifice after hearing the stories, didn't we?"
Freeman finished.
"Anyway, you can check for yourselves. If you need it, we can make a pass. We could do it right away."
"Yes, please. We'd appreciate that."
Shirone accepted for now. They hadn't decided which route they'd use, but the more ways they had to approach the natives' autonomous district, the better.
Freeman called his men to prepare the passes, then turned back to Shirone's group.
"You can get in, but you'll need someone who speaks the natives' language. None of our men do."
"Oh? Then how did Falcoa make the deal?"
"After coming to the island Falcoa built up his own influence. Strictly speaking, the original mercenary band didn't really fit with him. Of course, with Falcoa dead the private group fell apart, but back then he often mixed with smugglers. One of them must have done the translating."
"Hmm, then we'll need an interpreter too."
Yuna quietly raised her hand.
"Um, I don't know if I should say this…"
"Yeah? Go ahead. Say whatever."
"My brother can speak a little Kergo."
Amy showed interest.
"Really, Jis? How did he learn it?"
"He did various jobs to take care of me when I was little. Before he became a dock tout he worked tourist part‑time jobs. I think he picked it up then."
Freeman said, "That's great. Then ask Jis. We want to help, but now that Marsha's back, staying on the island is dangerous. The Magic Association is still after us."
Shirone nodded readily. He didn't want to burden Marsha any further—she was being pursued at a national level.
With that the conversation wound down, and before sunset Shirone's group left the house.
Marsha fastened bracelets on them that allowed teleportation.
The operation was simple. The bracelet itself contained a spirit zone, so you only had to picture the coordinates as if casting a spell.
Shirone examined the bracelet Marsha had given him.
People used them without thinking, but linking a magical device to a magic circle like that was a truly audacious idea.
A technique impossible without connecting two spirit zones that existed in different spaces.
It could also be seen as what Marsha had shown from the outside. Someone standing at the spot would see only a single hole in space, but from the outside you'd discover two spots—the entrance and the exit.
"A labyrinth of space and time. Maybe this world is already inside a huge secret."
At first he'd thought what happened to him was a unique incident. But then he learned she was a disciple of Alpheas.
Digging further, he found ties to the Kergo Ruins.
Moreover, space‑time magic was still being attached to magical devices somewhere and spreading across the world.
Shirone felt a sudden unease. Maybe, as the headmaster said, he was trying to uncover something he should never know.
While Shirone was lost in thought, Marsha came over and gave one last warning.
"There'll be a carriage waiting at the foot of the mountain. You might see me once more before you leave, but be careful. And when you get back, be sure to find a healing mage and get treated."
"Got it. Thank you for looking out for us."
"Hoho! What are you talking about—between us?"
Marsha covered her mouth and lightly slapped Shirone's arm. She no longer needed to hide herself, but she wasn't so different from when they first met. Perhaps she'd been living with the shield of a lie while revealing herself.
"I'll go. If you can't find me on the island, contact the Magic Academy."
"Don't worry. Clay Marsha can find you anytime, anywhere."
Marsha rolled up her sleeves and spoke stoutly. She really knew how to lift people's spirits.
Freeman stood at her side. The friendship looked unequal in some ways, but somehow it suited them.
When Shirone entered the forest, Marsha—who'd kept watch for a long time—asked, "The Kergo Ruins, huh. You think it'll be okay?"
"Maybe… it won't."
Marsha frowned and looked at Freeman. Freeman, as always, answered calmly.
"But they'll get through. They're strong kids."
Marsha gave a bittersweet smile and looked up at the sky. The sound of teleportation born in the forest split the heavens.
Dangerous Deal (1)
By the time Shirone's group returned by carriage to the villa, it was already evening.
Jis, pacing the living room with his aching body, turned around the moment the door opened.
"Ah…"
Tears welled in Jis's eyes. His one and only little sister, Yuna, was coming into the villa unharmed.
"Oppa!"
"Yuna!"
Jis, face wet with tears, hugged Yuna. The siblings clung together and sobbed.
It had been a brutal trial. Even Shirone, who could rival anyone in mental fortitude, had had more than one moment when he wanted to collapse to his knees—the enemies had been that formidable.
Seeing what had been done to them made it clear how desperate and helpless Jis and Yuna must have felt.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine. The others rescued me. Oppa, what happened to you? Why are you bandaged?"
"I'm fine. As long as you're back, nothing hurts."
In truth, Jis found even walking painful. But he couldn't show it to Yuna. The fear she'd felt was surely far worse than his suffering.
With eyes full of gratitude, Jis looked at Shirone's group and bowed so low his thanks almost overflowed.
"Thank you! Thank you so much! I'll never forget this favor."
Tess patted Jis's shoulder as if to say it was all right. Since Freeman had already heard the story, there was no need to make a show of it.
"Hoho! You can forget all this if you want. Just remember what I told you when you left. If you're really grateful, start showing it through your actions now, okay?"
"Huh? What do you mean by that?"
Jis blinked, not understanding Tess's teasing. Everyone—Shirone's group and even Yuna—smiled at him.
* * *
After putting the exhausted Yuna to bed, Jis returned to the table. He sipped herbal tea and resumed the interrupted conversation.
"So you're saying we'll go into the autonomous district through the Kergo Ruins? That's why we need an interpreter."
"Yeah. From what Yuna said it sounds like you can do it. We wanted to know how fluent you are."
"If it's everyday conversation, no problem. I can guide you. Hmm, but entering the natives' autonomous district is…"
Jis stroked his chin with a subtle expression.
"What's wrong? You look troubled. Is something bothering you?"
"No, it's fine. I'll guide you as much as you want. It's just that—I don't know why you're going, but that place is special. Not secretive exactly, but the Galliant government strictly controls access to the area. Will that be okay?"