Ch 154.1
After we completed our task we went back. Just as we got back we were welcomed by a familiar face.
「Welcome back.」
「If it isn’t you Yera.」
The person waiting for us was the Sky Heavenly Mage, Yera Schugel. She was also none other than Silverie’s mother, and someone who had helped us on several occasions. Today, however, it seemed that she had arrived with an important business.
After prompting us to sit she cleared her throat and began explaining.
「Today I came here to ask you to do a job for me.」 Yera said.
「A job for us?」 Milly asked while tilting her neck. Truth be told, a new dungeon has recently emerged around Izu Port City… I’d like you to go ahead and seal it.」
―― Izu Port City.
It was the place where Shirushu was currently located.
A lot went on recently so I had completely forgotten about it, but I had yet to meet with her.
Shirushu Onslaught is one of our companions and a beastfolk with pinkish hair. She works as a sister at one of the churches, and looks after the kids there.
Still, a new dungeon emerging is certainly no laughing matter.
「You see, since the accident with Grain three years ago, more and more people have been leaving the Association. It seems like no one noticed that the barrier guarding the city had weakened a little… Hahaha」 Yera said awkwardly.
「That’s no laughing matter you hag.」 Silverie said with a cold tone.
「… There’s nothing that we could do. Even I worked non-stop to try and help.」
「Don’t try to excuse yourself. It’s disgusting.」
「Are you going against your mother? Why don’t you become a Heavenly Mage in my place then? I wouldn’t mind giving you the position at all, so what do you say?」
「…. Y-You…」
After a long silence Silverie just clicked her tongue and while mumbling something she ran away from Yera.
Stop it Silverie, there’s no way you can win against her with words. But still, three years really did pass.
From what I heard since the case, where I had been left on the brink of death and the former Dispatch Magician Grain had escaped once again.
The authority of the Magician Association had plummeted and the number of Dispatch Magician had dropped by half.
The Five Heavenly Mages’ workload had been multiplied as a result, and Yera seemed to be very busy even now. Apparently she had come to visit me quite a lot during these last three years, but it was my first time meeting her since waking up.
「… In any case, let’s leave the minor details aside; may I entrust this to you?」 Yera asked.
「What should we do Zeph?」
「Hmm, I was just thinking of going to see Shirushu so isn’t this perfect?」
「Well it does seem so… Okay Yera-san, we’ll take up the request!」 Milly said.
「I’m in your debt Milly-chan!」
And like that we ended up taking on the mission of sealing the dungeon that had newly emerged near Izu Port City.
2
―― We met outside of town the next day, just as Lydia had requested the night before.
「So, where in the world is Lydia?」
「Beats me, she said she was bringing something.」
「Sorry everyone, did you wait long?」 Lydia said as she appeared next to the town’s gate while pulling onto what appeared to be a hut on wheels.
「What is that?」
「Fufu, this is what’s called a carriage. We’ll have Uru-chi pull on it while we ride on top♪」
This really does look like a carriage… Wait, won’t this be incredible given Uruk is able to fly while pulling it?
As I was pondering things, Silverie seemed to have noticed me and decided to enlighten me.
「There’s nothing to worry about. From what we researched before, Uruk is able to fly by using magic power to create a road in the sky. So if we put pieces of Uruk’s hooves on the carriage’s wheels, it will be able to use that path as well… We’ve already put it through its paces, so don’t worry.」
「So that’s what you were doing when you asked me to borrow Uruk.」 Milly said.
「That’s right, well then Milly-chan we’ll leave the driver’s seat to you.」 Lydia said.
Following which Milly hopped on top of Uruk while the rest of us boarded the carriage.
「W-Will this thing really fly…?」 Milly asked anxiously.
「It’s fine, don’t worry about it ♪」 Lydia said with a carefree smile while sitting right next to me.
Nonetheless, Milly still looked at Uruk with a bit of disbelief in her eyes. However, Uruk looked like he wasn’t worried at all and even tried to draw his face closer to Milly so that he could lick her to calm her down. Milly, on the other hand, deftly averted the situation.
「Bad Uruk!」
「Neigh….」
Looking at the disheartened Uruk, Milly couldn’t help but feel somewhat bad so she ended up petting his head.
Good grief Milly. It’s because you spoil him so much that he acts however he pleases.
「… Okay, look here Uruk. If you do a good job then I’ll give you a reward, how about that?」
「Neigh!!!」 Uruk exclaimed happily.
Uruk started to run, dragging us high into the sky, as I made up my mind that I would surely make her pay one day.
「Whoa!!! This is so amazing.」 Milly exclaimed.
Uruk effortlessly danced in the sky as he pulled the carriage.
He’s quite powerful, being able to carry Milly alongside us three. I was worried at first but it looks like there won’t be any problems.
Uruk was flapping his wings and slicing through the sky at a terrifying pace.
Normally, a leisure flight without any shaking would be unlikely, but the carriage had a magic system attached to its outer region that was able to control the incoming air, minimizing the vibrations.
It seemed like Lydia and Silverie had combined their skills in magic and craftsmanship in order to create a number of amazing things.
「Zeph-chi we’re so high up aren’t we! The people look just like ants!」 Lydia said excitedly.
「You’re quite excited for some reason. Didn’t you already try it when performing the experiments?」
「Riding with everyone else feels different. Isn’t that right Se-chi, Zeph-chi?」 Lydia said as she hugged both of us.
She is right, this view is definitely something else. Flying like this is a first for me.
「It’s been so long since I’ve last seen Shirushu, I can’t wait.」
「I totally get it. Shiru-chi has been quite busy recently so she didn’t have any time to come and visit us, we haven’t seen her in quite a while as well.」
It might have been better if I went to see her immediately but I did have a lot of stuff to take care of first. Still, my rehabilitation is finally finished, and I’m able to fight properly now, so this request came just at the right time.
「Look, look, that’s the Govnu Swamp over there. We crossed so much distance already! That’s so amazing!!!」 Lydia said excitedly.
「… You sure are having a lot of fun aren’t you Lydia…」
「Of course I am!」
《Urgh… Everyone sounds so happy…》 Milly quietly mumbled to me via Telepathy.
I had completely forgotten about it, but she had been controlling Uruk all this time.
Looking towards Uruk, I saw Milly, who had a lonely expression on her face, staring at us. After a while we finally arrived at Izu Port City.
This atmosphere… It doesn’t feel that much different from before.
「Considering there is a dungeon nearby, it appears to be a lot more peaceful than I expected.」 Milly said.
「Well yea, the town’s protective barrier is still active apparently.」
Protective barriers were usually deployed with the centre of the town as a base, forming a circle around it. Apparently the dungeon had appeared at a part where the barrier had been damaged.
According to Yera the Magician Association were quick to dispatch people so it would take some time before the monsters entered the city.
Which means that sealing the dungeon is not that urgent.
Having decided on that our first task was to go to the church that Shirushu was at.
「It really has been quite a while.」
Shirushu lived in a church on the outskirts of Izu Port City, on top of a hill that could be seen from the city’s entrance.
The church’s garden appeared to be in good shape, and children were playing in the area.
Just as we arrived at the church, a single boy noticed us and immediately came to greet us.
Following him, the other children came as well.
「Whoa!! Milly-san, Lydia-san and Silverie-san came!」
「Hey Ryu-kun, it’s been a while ♪」 Milly greeted him
「Did you grow taller?」 Lydia asked.
「I’m still no match for you Lydia-san.」 Ryu answered happily.
「You seem to be doing well.」 Silverie said.
「That’s right Silverie-san, I see that you’re also the same as always.」
The tanned boy’s small ears moved about as he greeted everyone with a cheerful smile on his face.
He was dressed in a tanktop and short pants.
Still, to think that this is Ryu. It’s true that I haven’t met him in three years, but to think that he’d grow so much. Come to think of it, I don’t remember Silverie meeting him. They must have gotten to know each other during these three years.
「Excuse me sir, who might you be…」 Ryu asked.
「It’s been a while Ryu.」
「That voice… It can’t be… Zeph-nii?」
「That’s right. You sure grew quite a lot Ryu.」
「Look who’s talking Zeph-nii… You’ve grown way too much…」
「Fufufu, sleeping brings up a child well. That aside, where is Shirushu?」
「Well… She’s probably meditating under the waterfall.」
「Meditating under the waterfall? What’s that?」 Milly asked
When Ryu heard Milly’s query, he scratched his head, as though he was trying to come up with an explanation.
「You see Shiru-nee found a master a while back, and since then she’s constantly been with him. He’s apparently teaching her a method to restrain her instincts.」 Ryu explained.
「Oh! Now I remembered, she did say something like that.」
Shirushu’s race was a rare one even amongst beastfolk.
Her eyes and hair would turn bright red as her emotions took over, and when she was overcome with rage, she would lose herself and feel compelled to fight, regardless of whether the adversary was an enemy or an ally.
Her initial goal in joining us was to train herself to control her impulses, but due to my falling asleep, her training had evidently come to a halt.
I kind of feel bad for Shirushu, but I’m glad that she finally managed to find a way to control her instincts.
「Well we’re free so we might as well go and check up on her. Would you guide us Ryu?」
「Sure thing, leave it to me Zeph-nii!」
We arrived at a rocky area a short distance from Izu Port Town, following Ryu.
Shirushu was apparently meditating under one of the numerous waterfalls in the region, which fed into a vast river that flowed into the sea.
「Still, meditating under a waterfall huh. Come to think of it I remember there being something like that in a foreign country quite far away from here.」 Silverie said
「Se-chin you know about it as well?」
「The old hag asked me to do it a while back.」
「Ahaha, so that’s how it is!」
We walked and spoke until the sound of a waterfall became more audible.
A massive waterfall was right in front of our eyes. However, Shirushu was nowhere to be seen.
「Can’t see her.」
「Please wait for a bit.」 Ryu asked as he began to sniff the area.
「I can smell her. She was here just now. Her master’s smell is mixed up as well, so I think that they’re somewhere together.」
「I see. Do you know where they went to?」
「If they’re not here then they must be at the hemp grasslands. They seem to be doing some kind of training that involves jumping over the tall hemps there.」
「Jumping over hemps… I had to do the same thing as well…」
「Ahaha Se-chin you know way too much! Is that a kind of foreign country training as well?」
「The old hag just likes these sort of things.」
Well Yera is a foreign country maniac after all. I guess she must have had a lot of fun playing with Silverie.
We once again followed behind Ryu until we reached the hemp grassland, however Shirushu wasn’t there as well.
「Hmm… It seems like we missed her again…」
Around the area filled with hemp there were numerous footsteps.
This size, they’re definitely Shirushu’s shoes.
「There’s one more pair though.」
The other pair of footprints were slightly smaller and seemed to be made of rope-like shoes that were made in an unusual way.
「These footprints were definitely left behind by Zouri shoes. The people of a certain foreign country love to wear them.」
「I guess Shirushu’s master might be a foreigner then.」
Shirushu’s teacher huh. I’m quite curious now.
Afterwards we went to quite a few places, however we never ended up meeting Shirushu.
I finally got an idea of what Shirushu is trying to do. It seems she really is training quite hard.
Feeling tired from all the walking we decided to go back to the church.
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