Chapter 65
"Remarkable..."
Yet another exclamation escaped Luke's mouth.
"To think I'd see Novices take down a Sentinel with my own eyes. I'd only heard stories, never seen it in my twenty years as an Explorer."
"So there were precedents?"
"...There were. I don't know many, but probably countable on two hands in total. Since the current rank system was implemented."
That's a bit disappointing.
Achievement titles like “Killed Chromatic Fiend during Training” or “Killed Sentinel as a Novice” were nice, but being first was special.
Beyond bragging rights, there was personal satisfaction.
Maybe this is better. Too much fame is...
Troublesome.
Actually, my personal information had already spread quite a bit, there was no need to add fuel to a dying fire.
"But half of those were Scullery rank. Taking down an Upper is miraculous. You should be proud."
"Think I've heard about this? The Frontier Guild Master killed a Sentinel."
At Rei's words, Luke added a detailed explanation, "That's natural for a Pioneer. Though occasionally some rise through steady growth, most show talent from the start. But that was quite a while ago—surprising you know about it, given you wouldn't know recent ones?"
"Ah... well."
Rei's expression turned sour, probably remembering those brutal days with Frontier's Guild Master.
"I received training there."
"Training? From a Pioneer?"
Luke raised his voice even higher than when we killed the Sentinel.
Then a sigh.
"Haa. My... truly extraordinary foundations. Getting Pioneer's guidance without even being Frontier Guild members? No, perhaps that's exactly why they taught you."
"Huh? What?"
"She must have seen it. Your brilliant talent. The sprouts of new pioneers just beginning to bud."
Luke was completely enthralled.
As if feeling moved to be a witness to history.
"Different foundations entirely. Just like the legendary first expedition team, you are. You'll undoubtedly become significant figures. And uncover more of the Abyss' mysteries. To have briefly shared footsteps with such people... life is truly worth living long."
According to Luke's fundamentalism, we must be the very essence of fundamentals, for him to say this much.
However, he had one misunderstanding.
"Only Rei received that training, I trained elsewhere."
"Ah, Telema School was it? I briefly forgot, being so shocked. Still, my opinion hasn't changed. You're all from outside the city, not city-born, right?"
"That's right."
"The first expedition team was the same. Actually, since this was before the establishment of Res Limen, it's not quite the same, but at first, everyone came from outside to challenge the Abyss. Not from city-born inertia or momentum, but pure curiosity and pioneering spirit diving into the unknown—they were true Explorers and..."
By that point, I focused more on searching the Sentinel's… remains? Debris? Whatever the case, it was far more interesting than Luke's yap session.
Rei, who'd escaped long ago, gave me an eye-smile as if saying, "You finally came?"
"You held out for a long time."
"He knows a lot of things."
I thought we might get more useful information since he knew a lot, but failed this time.
"A magic core?"
"This one's weird."
The front hole blasted by Smite was completely empty.
Like it was really bisque stone rather than a living being.
It's a golem type after all.
Abyss researchers say golem type monsters best contain the Abyss' secrets.
Unlike biological monsters, golem types felt more artificial.
If the Abyss had a creator, golem types must have been made with some purpose?
There were even magic schools specializing in golem type monsters.
The reason I suddenly brought this up was because their claims might actually be true.
"This thing?"
This was a magic core?
If this is a magic core, what are the ones I know?
Generally, magic cores were shining stones.
Stones that emitted mana light like they might irradiate one from just a touch.
But the Sentinel's magic core Rei handed over was far from that.
It was like machinery.
A heart made through magical engineering.
That was my intuitive understanding when I first saw it.
The magic core, crafted with extremely precise workmanship, definitely contained mana, and that made it all the stranger.
"Seems this is still fine though?"
"Huh? What?"
"I mean, if the magic core's fine, why did it stop?"
Only after I spoke did Rei notice the oddity.
"Now that you mention it, yeah. Usually with golem types, you either destroy the whole magic core or extract it while they're moving to stop them."
A Sentinel characteristic?
"Where’s Leaf—Ah forget it."
"Missing her already? Want to go check up on them?"
"Nah, just wondering if you can sense them is all?"
"Yeah, I’m using this amazing tool you probably haven’t heard of, they’re called eyeballs."
While taking a jab at me, Rei used her small frame to stick her upper body into the Sentinel's pierced torso, checking for anything else worth looting.
She’s definitely going to get stuck.
"Ack! Roman! Pull me out!"
Good grief.
At times like this, she's really just a kid.
I grabbed Rei's firm calves to pull while turning my head.
They left right after the battle saying they had things to discuss, what could take this long?
I wonder if they'll tell me later.
"Pull harder!"
"Alright, alright."
§
While three people were picking apart the Sentinel's remains in the back.
Leaf and Elowen's private conversation had moved past a rather long silence to the next stage.
Their atmosphere was heavy, contrary to the back group.
Beyond heavy, almost solemn.
Leaf fidgeted with her staff-holding hand secretly from Elowen.
Not just Leaf, but Elowen too was being extremely careful about how to bring up the topic of conversation.
One could feel the caution in every single word.
"I never thought it would actually exist."
"..."
"You didn't know it could cause resonance even with uncontracted spirits? Though this was my first time experiencing it too..."
"Are you with the Shadow?"
"...No. I'm not."
"Then?"
"Memory of Origins."
Elowen was an unaffiliated Explorer.
But she did have an affiliation.
Not as an Explorer, but as an Elf.
La mémoire des troncs (Memory of Origins).
While its literal translation meant "memory of tree trunks," since "trunk" could mean origins and ancestors, while "memory" could mean remembrance, it was a name containing multiple meanings.
Elves, having lost their racial focal point of the World Tree, scattered.
They split and merged repeatedly according to their tendencies and origins, dividing into several factions.
While there were extreme purist factions, there were also open factions that accepted anyone with even a drop of Elf blood.
Memory of Origins was closer to the purist faction.
Still, they weren't completely inflexible, accepting half-bloods with proper talent and qualifications.
Though those qualifications were extremely strict, being tests of ancient knowledge from when the World Tree lived.
Rather than supporting pure bloodlines leading to purism, it was more like nostalgic traditionalists gathering which naturally led to purist tendencies.
But even so, Memory of Origins was quite moderate.
At least they didn't try to kill half-bloods for being "impure”.
The Shadow that Leaf mentioned earlier was such a group.
Madmen claiming the World Tree's death was due to increasing half-bloods, killing any mixed blood they found while preaching pure-blood supremacy and attempting World Tree revival.
And, a powerful group of Abyss Worshipers.
"Fortunately, we met before the Shadow noticed."
"..."
Elowen was genuinely relieved and grateful the World Tree's grace hadn't completely left their race.
She even felt this might be fate, perhaps the same guidance that led her to enter that training center.
For this moment, even gratitude toward Roman took second place.
"Come with me. Not just Memory of Origins, but places like Silent Forest, Whispering Leaves..."
"I'm fine."
"...Lady Leaf."
Elowen couldn't understand.
She was special.
Even as a Half-Elf, she was more noble and pure than any pure-blood Elf.
And Leaf was somewhat aware of this.
Though she might not know the full extent of its impact, she clearly knew what kind of being she was.
If she revealed her identity, many of the fractured Elf groups would undoubtedly unite.
Except for those like Shadow who'd completely turned to the Abyss for answers.
"Please keep it secret."
"But..."
"This is a request as a classmate and..."
Leaf paused briefly, then spoke again.
Though calm, her tone carried weight.
"Also an order as a High Elf."
§
After collecting the Sentinel's remains as spoils, we entered the area Elowen had found suspicious and tried to search.
The moment we saw what was there, Luke spoke, "This is bad."
Before our eyes was a gate.
A passage enabling travel between Abyss floors was here.
Not a regular gate.
A so-called shortcut.
An irregular passage that could appear anywhere, anytime, and disappear just as unpredictably.
The problem was there was no guarantee this was the only one.
One shortcut alone couldn't cause enough change to shake the Second Floor's ecosystem.
"There might be one in each Sentinel's territory."
And that suggested someone's deliberate intervention.
The Abyss Worshipers.