Chapter 36
She hadn't expected the head to explode at all.
A few drops of blood splattered on Silveryn's face.
After killing nearly a hundred people, those few drops of blood were the only damage she had received.
Lost in her worries, she didn't even think to wipe it off.
Aside from the blood-soaked silver hair, there was no evidence left. Even this was too weak to be used as physical evidence linked to the family.
All she could know about the masterminds was that they were the kind who would ruthlessly use and dispose of even their blood relatives and vassals as tools for their purpose.
She turned her back on the charred corpses and walked steadily back to where the carriages were.
Damian's past weighed heavily on her mind.
And that someone in Eternia kept flickering in her thoughts.
More than the physical fatigue from the battle, the mental fatigue from these lingering thoughts tormented her.
Damian was waiting to greet Silveryn, gripping the carriage door tightly with one hand.
He looked at her from a distance and finally opened his mouth softly with a relieved expression.
"Teacher..."
And seeing Damian like that, the distracting thoughts troubling Silveryn instantly melted away.
She approached silently and embraced Damian's head.
"You kept your promise. Well done, my disciple."
"..."
Not knowing what to do, Damian became like a statue with his arms in the air.
And very slowly, Damian's arms wrapped around her slim waist.
In Silveryn's embrace, he lifted his head slightly and said, "I was worried."
"Worrying about me is the most useless thing in the world."
"What... exactly happened in the village?"
"First, let's get out of here, and then I'll tell you."
She slowly released her hold.
She sent Damian into the carriage first and then followed.
After sitting down, she tapped the coachman's seat a couple of times, and the carriage began to move forward again.
The place swept by flames was quiet, without even the sound of wind.
A moment later, the carriage entered the outskirts of the village.
Smoke was still rising from the ashes left after everything had been burned.
The acrid smell seeped through the gaps in the carriage door.
As Damian's gaze turned towards the window, she drew the curtains.
"It's still too early for you to see."
"..."
Soon after, screams erupted from the carriage following behind.
"Kyaaah!"
It was Liria's scream.
The hundred or so charred corpses were traumatizing to bear witness to.
Damian might have to kill an equal amount of people to the magic creatures he would hunt in his lifetime.
So there was no need to accept it too early. At least while he was with Silveryn, Damian could remain a child.
"What happened?"
"There's a family targeting you. I don't know the exact reason, but I've made an example of them, so they should be quiet for a while."
Damian nodded calmly, as if he had guessed that was the case.
"...I understand."
Silveryn didn't intend to have a long conversation about this incident, at least until before the entrance exam. She didn't want to unnecessarily trouble his mind.
Damian needed to focus entirely on Eternia.
He rummaged through his pocket and handed Silveryn a handkerchief.
"Teacher, here. Wipe that blood off."
"...Thank you."
Only then did she take a breath and wipe off the drops of blood on her face.
Unfortunately, it wasn't all over yet.
Silveryn had merely extended the gap period until the next attack.
They would come again. For some unknown reason, Damian would remain a danger factor to them.
Next time, their methods would become more subtle, and they wouldn't leave even a strand of hair as evidence.
They would strike when Silveryn was away.
But she wasn't too worried.
By that time, Damian would have become incomparably stronger than he was now.
***
An elegant river stream cut through the mountains and stretched out into the horizon.
The carriage was traveling up the road that followed the middle course of the river.
As they progressed, they encountered carriages accompanied by escort knights very frequently.
Each carriage had its own unique seal, like those of prestigious families.
Quite a few merchants pulling cargo wagons were also visible.
Silveryn said while admiring the scenery outside the window, "We've now entered Eternia's territory."
"I didn't know Eternia was located in such a remote area."
"You can't really tell just by looking at maps of this area. Isn't it quite beautiful here too?"
I nodded.
Through the carriage window, I could see huge sailing ships going up against the river current.
It felt somewhat out of place among the primitive natural scenery.
We’re really entering Eternia now.
I felt a strange mix of tension and excitement.
Although we could reach Eternia in just half a day, it wasn't on our itinerary just yet.
Before going to Silveryn's mansion, we were planning to stop briefly in a small town called “Rigved”.
As we turned at the end of the hill ridge, the view of Rigved finally came into view.
With steep mountains behind and a river as wide as a lake in front, this town had white steam billowing from the triangular roofs of every house.
The whole town was hazy with steam as if covered in a light fog.
As I couldn't take my eyes off the mysterious atmosphere of Rigved, Silveryn spoke, "They boil water all day long to make potions, so it's also called the City of Steam."
Silveryn said that Rigved was created for Eternia.
It was an intermediate base for transporting necessary supplies to Eternia and was full of shops selling various magic tools, alchemy materials, textbooks, and reference books.
Thanks to being rooted near the continent's best academy for a very long time, a long-established commercial district had formed.
Although located in a remote area that required navigating through complex mountain terrain, quite a lot of people came here for trade or material procurement.
Moreover, because high nobles from each continent stayed in Eternia, embassies from the empire, principalities, and city alliances were also gathered here.
The Eternia branches of the Magic Academy and Alchemy Association were also located here, and there was a considerable floating population as the blood relatives, vassals, and servants of those studying frequently came and went.
I looked down at Rigved and fell into thought for a moment.
Is it possible for people of different backgrounds to live together in that densely packed city built on a narrow flatland?
A question suddenly occurred to me, and I asked Silveryn, "Are there different species there too?"
She shook her head.
"Even in Rigved, different species don't live mixed together."
Well, if there had been different species, that city would have turned into a sea of fire and disappeared long ago.
After advancing like that for a while and reaching the outskirts of Rigved city, Planteras greeted us.
They were standing firmly, guarding the entrance to the city.
Meeting them again here after a long journey felt strangely welcoming.
The numerous crowds passing through the streets glanced at our carriage several times.
Since it was an Eternia carriage that only special people like distinguished guests or professors could ride, it naturally attracted attention.
Perhaps because the entrance exam was approaching, there were many children who looked about my age on the streets.
It was the first time in my life I had seen so many people my age gathered in one place.
Silveryn drew the curtains to block all the surrounding gazes.
"We'll get you a new sword here."
Silveryn handed me a leather pouch about the size of a fist.
"Take it."
"...?"
It was a heavy pouch. When I opened it, it was full of gold coins.
"Why are you giving me this..."
"Use that to choose one yourself. I need to stop by the Magic Academy for a moment."
"I don't know anything about this place."
I don't know what shops there are, where to go, or even the proper prices.
"This place is different from a market where people try to rip you off. And..."
Silveryn took out a ring from her bosom and handed it to him. It was a ring engraved with Eternia's seal.
"If you show this and mention my name, they'll choose something suitable for you."
Damian put the ring on his finger and said, "...Where should I go?"
As if she knew where they were moving, even without looking, she immediately pulled back the curtain and pointed to a place.
"There."
The place Silveryn pointed to was a shop located in the center of a Y-shaped intersection.
"Fillin's Forge?"
"Don't go anywhere else, just go there."
"Understood."
"Choose something durable that you can use for a long time. If you buy something with strange enchantments on it, I'll scold you."
Her tone was like admonishing a child choosing a toy.
"...Don't worry."
Silveryn knocked three times on the coachman's seat, and soon the carriage stopped.
"Get off here first."
"Should I wear the mask from now on?"
"Yes. It's better to be cautious, but you don't need to be too wary of Fillin. That old man also has deep ties with Eternia."
I put on the mask I received from Erzsebet and got off the carriage.
Silveryn waved lightly and closed the carriage door.
Soon after, the carriage started moving again. From inside the following carriage, Liria also waved at me slightly.
People murmured softly as they saw me.
Perhaps because I got off from an Eternia carriage, the surrounding gazes were piercing.
I put the pouch of gold coins deep inside my clothes and hurriedly walked towards Fillin's Forge.