Chapter 20 – Miracle of the Myths (5)
“I’ve never been to a place like this or seen something like this before.”
“That’s good. It’s certainly strange, though.”
Ultimately, the title of the content we were seeing was ‘Chronicle of the Shadow Hero.’
Honestly, even after looking at the plot, I had nothing to say. After the tower collapsed, whatever happened in this world over the past ten thousand years was beyond my knowledge, and I couldn’t pose any questions about it.
Still, seeing the mention of the tower and the appearance of numerous characters presumed to be climbers made it comforting to think of it as a sort of historical material based on those times.
It wasn’t a movie mobilizing flashy CG, but the play, which realistically employed magic and various magical tools, had more of a taste to it than I expected.
“Well, the second act will start in 15 minutes…”
There was even an intermission in the middle. As I sat in my seat watching the play and crunching on what looked like popcorn snacks, I finally turned to my surroundings and yawned.
“Well, as expected of Su’an’s theater troupe. They are quick with the lore.”
“Is there a newly decoded part this time?”
“I don’t know if they’ve newly deciphered it or if they are gradually revealing what they had already decoded, but…”
The problem was a group of people sitting a bit further ahead. I didn’t know much about the others, but those perky red fox ears looked familiar.
Their frequent visits to the city and chattering at places like this confirmed that those fox-like beings and humans were definitely scholars studying the Mythical Era.
Fortunately, perhaps because the room was cramped and filled withpeople, she was no longer sniffing.
“It is strange that they didn’t include it in the play. Is the ‘tower’ that the Shadow Hero operated truly the ‘tower’ we know? The stories from different descending legends contradict each other. The guide appearing on the first floor of the tower bursting the head of an arrogant climber doesn’t appear in other records.”
True to their scholarly nature, they seriously debated even while others left their seats during breaks. Hearing that the legend of the Shadow Hero was quite famous among the general public, the scholars seemed to hold different thoughts.
“It’s frustrating… There aren’t many resources, and we have to decipher the texts from the Mythical Era while figuring out if they’re real or not.”
“That’s the fate of people like us. If I could, I would want to turn back time to that era.”
With a sigh from the man who seemed to be an assistant, she nodded in agreement, shaking her head. Hearing them wish to return to that time out of frustration made my heart ache for some reason.
As Ethan said, if I revealed my identity myself, people like them would surely become instantly intrigued.
Perhaps my trivial knowledge could provide the true answers they desire. It was uncertain how they might expand their thinking and make leaps based on that knowledge.
“…”
But I didn’t do that.
The strong annoyance stemming from the emptiness still lingering in my body held the largest part of my reasoning, but there was undoubtedly a faint fear lurking in the gaps.
The fear that clinging to my origins, which had become a distant past, might further distance me from reality.
Instinctively, I sensed that this fear would grow stronger the more I attached myself to this world.
This sense of emptiness and fear were mutually exclusive emotions, so eliminating one would inevitably amplify the other.
*
“Did you have a good time in your leisure? For people like us, managing our physical condition is always important. If you’re not feeling well, let me know right away. Trying to hide it and then getting caught later would be a bigger issue.”
“Y-yes. I rested well and slept soundly.”
The next day, Patrick checked our conditions as soon as he saw us. Rina, who had been my body pillow yesterday, awkwardly smiled and nodded.
The expensive hotel bed surely did not make it uncomfortable to sleep.
“Well then, let’s set off. There’s no need to walk since we already have a destination. Let’s conserve energy and time.”
Patrick called for a carriage. This little carriage pulled by two horses was practically like a taxi used for short distances here.
Patrick sat next to the driver, while Rina and I took the back seat, and the carriage soon dashed towards our destination.
“More than ten residents have gone missing. I wonder what happened?”
“Well, even if we try to find out, such things happen quite frequently here.”
As the carriage rattled, Rina murmured with a tense expression. Since she was pretending to be an adventurer because of me, she seemed scared of this task.
I wanted to reassure her, but I had nothing concrete to offer, making it impossible as well.
I had Ethan check some details, but dying or going missing was not uncommon in this world.
“It could just be simple monsters, but if it’s a monster that’s harmed more than ten people, that’s not something we can overlook. There must be something once we go check.”
Hearing our conversation, Patrick turned and added an explanation. Since we weren’t planning to fight, as he said, we wouldn’t know unless we went.
“We’ve arrived. That’s the village.”
Soon, we dashed along the road connected to the city and arrived at a somewhat large village, which had a very depressed atmosphere.
“Hmm, it seems inquiring for information will be tough.”
Patrick, getting off the carriage, muttered, glancing around. It was like poking into a wound at a wake where they had lost family or acquaintances, making it difficult to probe further, no matter how much we were there for investigation.
“—?”
‘Suspicious energy.’
But there was no need for that in the first place. The moment I stepped off the carriage and set foot on the ground, the earth spirit abruptly emerged and started urgently conveying something.
“Do you know the direction?”
“If you go that way, you’ll find out. As the distance closes in, you’ll know more in detail.”
After telling Patrick of this, I took off my shoes and socks and stood barefoot on the ground. With a stronger connection to the earth, I could delve deeper into what had happened on this land.
“Since there’s no special method right now, let’s go.”
Casting a quick glance around, Patrick headed in the direction I pointed. Passing by fields and facilities made by the villagers, we entered the nearby forest.
The ground I was touching gave me a stronger warning.
‘Similar to that werewolf, or even stronger.’
Although I couldn’t tell precisely what this trace was, it was definitely similar to the curse the werewolf I encountered last time harbored. It seemed the mayor’s ominous prediction that something might have happened was gradually proving true.
“Everyone, stay alert. It’s a curse of corruption.”
Unable to keep that fact to myself, I warned my companions. True to its infamous nature established over the years, Patrick turned pale with shock, and Rina looked terrified, both of their faces turning white.
“Wait, if it’s really a curse of corruption, isn’t it dangerous!? That means a demon is involved in this!”
“Well, I don’t know. We’ll have to see when we get there for the details.”
Patrick was flustered, but I shook my head.
The information conveyed by the earth spirit differed slightly from my encounter with the werewolf.
The mere existence of a cursed being like a werewolf wouldn’t allow the earth spirit to detect it in detail.
“–, –? —!”
But now it felt a little different. It was the first time I had seen the earth spirit in such a hurry.
This land, urgently calling for me to solve its problem, was crying out for me to purify its tainted self.
‘Don’t worry.’
I smiled gently as I reassured the spirit.
I might disregard other things, but I could not ignore the spirit that was resonating with me while voicing its pain and plea for help.
My bond with them was all I had at that moment.
Even without the risk of penalties, I would not abandon those who had been with me since the tower.
“If you’re in danger, just escape immediately.”
“Th-this is Irilia!”
I began to run, brushing aside the two of them. Entering a dangerous place was partly due to my stubbornness, so they didn’t need to get caught up in it.
“Rina, let’s go!”
However, Patrick and Rina followed me. I chuckled as I immediately began to mobilize the strength of the earth beneath my feet and theirs.
“Eek!”
“What’s going on!?”
The ground trembled, and the ground we stood on transformed into a kind of surfboard, causing us to slide across the earth. The speed was far greater than running.
“Just keep your balance. It’ll move on its own.”
Seeing them manage to keep their balance, like beastmen and adventurers, I chuckled and increased our speed. While I could not run along the ground, I had learned a trick like this.
“%@$^%!!”
‘There’s definitely someone ahead.’
As we quickly dashed across the deserted forest trail towards our destination, noises emerged from the front, our destination.
I stopped the earth and perked up my ears. This sound, mixed with screams and shouts, clearly indicated that some people were fighting each other.
