Chapter 69 - Return (4)

Rei couldn't make a peep before running back at Viola's words.

Seeing her standing at attention was both pitiful and amusing.

"Hey, relax."

"T-this is relaxed..."

What exactly is this training for Rei?

Seems they really beat in that Spartan training.

"Your team consists of three people, right?"

"Ah, yes."

"Hmm..."

Viola asked roughly like that, then fell into thought while resting her chin on her hand.

She muttered in a small voice, "Should I just take them all?"

"I'm fine..."

"Oh? I'm taking that one no matter what, you okay with that?"

The “that one” Viola mentioned was me.

She pointed at me with her free hand while keeping her chin propped.

As if my choice didn't matter, her tone suggested it was completely natural that she'd decided to take me so she would.

"Huh? R-really, Roman?"

"No. I haven't said anything yet."

Though Rei glared at Viola as if saying. “See!” that rebellion was quickly suppressed with just a moment's eye contact.

"No. Don't care about others, but you're joining no matter what. Your team discovered this, so at least one needs to be there."

"There are others besides me though."

Like Luke and Elowen, and our team of three.

"The romantic is out. Elowen? I don't like that Elf, and among your team, you're the most interesting."

Seeing Viola smile confidently as if this was the most logical conclusion, I felt my will to argue disappearing.

"But well, since Lion Cub is here too, let's just take everyone. Go get your last member. Annoying to explain multiple times."

Rei and I exchanged glances.

What should we do?

What else? We have to bring her for now.

And just like that, Leaf joined.

"Ah, h-hello."

Leaf's firm and decisive demeanor from when sending Elowen away had vanished somewhere.

"So it's you?"

"...Yes?"

A question heavy with tension.

Viola smiled and said, "Don't be so tense. Sure, I'm a ve~ry important person, but I'm not someone who just goes around hurting people."

"...You're good at beating them up though."

"Was the education insufficient back then?"

As Viola lightly clenched her fist, Rei shuddered like she'd been shocked by static electricity.

"The conversation keeps drifting, and we're short on time, so I'll be brief."

Viola covered her face with interlocked fingers.

A pose that made one feel she should be sitting on something.

"The Union has issued a search and destroy order for the Second Floor. I'm in charge, and under my leadership, we'll establish a temporary expedition team for the operation. The objective is finding and closing the shortcuts presumed to be in Sentinel territories."

At that point, Viola paused.

I asked during the gap, "Can those be closed?"

"No."

"Even I can't eliminate shortcuts themselves."

"Then...?"

"We'll block the passage with magic barriers and collapse the area, effectively making it a dead end."

Ah, so that's how.

Combining magical and physical measures would make restoring that shortcut extremely difficult.

"Don't worry. At the Second Floor level, it's practically over once I step in. Consider it a learning experience."

Viola's confidence wasn't mere bravado to boost our morale or reassure us.

It was simply stating facts based on absolute ability.

Pioneer.

They were beings who expanded the horizons of recognition in the Abyss' depths.

The Seven Floors reached after this world sent countless challengers into the Abyss.

The Threshold.

That was where Pioneers mainly operated.

Deploying a Pioneer for a Second Floor operation was like using a butcher's knife to kill a chicken.

The city's accumulated anger toward recently active Abyss Worshipers made them draw out the great sword that was Viola.

"It'll be a good experience. Worth seeing once."

Viola concluded as she stood up.

"The peak that Explorers strive to reach."

Those words struck deep.

I had goals.

I knew the methods.

But I didn't know how far away that place was.

So Viola's words about seeing it for ourselves were enough to move my heart.

"Three days from now, noon. That's when we depart. We'll start from the First Floor's main base, so be there. If you're late, we leave without you."

She gave us the opportunity.

Whether to take it or not was our choice.

Viola turned around without hesitation after saying all she needed to say.

And leaving a strong impression on the Telema School...

"Ah, but why don't you serve water to guests here? You've got lots of good alcohol there. Hecate, be ready to have that display case emptied next time I come."

She left.

"...Those are all water."

Leaving words about filling her belly with water next time, she was frustrated she couldn't drink any.

§

"Phew~ I finally feel alive again!"

Rei wiped her mouth, laughing refreshingly after downing the rare drink “Telema School's Water” that even a Pioneer couldn't drink.

"That good?"

"Of course! Ah... just thinking about it makes my body ache. Do you know how much I got hit?"

Well, if your limbs are intact after being hit by a Pioneer, doesn't that mean they showed amazing restraint?

Plus.

"Arthur was there too."

"Ah, no. I understand. I went through something similar."

Arthur's face darkened and his voice lowered.

If Arthur, who always showed composure, reacted like this, just how intense was that training?

"Is it that harsh?"

"Don't even ask."

"I wouldn't know. Never learned from anyone but Master."

That's quite unexpected.

"You're a mage though."

"Right."

"Frontier's Guild Master isn't."

"That's also true."

"Then, where did you learn magic?"

"My magic is a bloodline inheritance. It emphasizes instinct and experience over typical mage learning. Ideally, you'd learn from a predecessor sharing the same magic, but given my circumstances, that wasn't possible."

At this point, we fell silent.

Usually, bloodline inheritance was passed from parent to child, or at a minimum through a very close master-disciple relationship.

Though our team inherited magic from the Floating Island's altar, that was an extremely exceptional case.

Meaning Arthur lost his predecessor, whether it be a parent or a master,  who could have passed down magic.

"No need for those expressions. I don't even remember."

"I see."

Well, how many Explorers have normal families anyway?

Our entire team were all orphans.

I became separated from my perfectly alive parents through dimensional travel.

Rei was a complete orphan after her parents and brother were killed by her uncle in familicide.

Leaf didn't even know if her parents were alive or dead, she just knew they existed.

Sharing similar pain probably made our team rely on each other more.

By the same logic, it was natural that I felt closer to Arthur compared to our other classmates since he was my roommate. 

"Must have been rough."

"No more than you."

"So you're going too?"

"Probably. I am her most recent disciple. And personally, I hope you all participate too."

An extension of classmate affection?

Though I could feel his desire to fight together again while exploring the Abyss, his sincere wish for help was even stronger.

"Master is strong. As she said, I recommend seeing it with your own eyes."

Even Rei could only mutter in a small voice, unable to argue with that.

"Well, I should go now. Though Master gave us time, staying too long would be imposing. School Head Hecate. Thank you for the water."

"Ah, y-yes."

Hecate's pupils shook violently.

She seemed consumed by the fundamental and profound mystery of how such a proper disciple could emerge from under that Viola.

After politely returning his glass,  Arthur immediately left.

I called to his back, "See you in three days."

"...Yeah. See you."

Those who needed to leave have left, now it was time for our private talk.

"Bit awkward to go back to the inn... School Head, mind if we borrow the underground training room?"

"Sure. Go ahead."

With Hecate's permission, we went underground.

"Ahh~ Underground training kind of reminds me of the training center."

"You didn't say anything on the Abyss’ Second Floor?"

"That feels different."

While Rei and I exchanged such trivialities, Leaf remained silent.

While she was usually the quietest of us three, she had been especially silent since earlier.

Maybe today's promised talk is that difficult.

"Leaf."

"...Ah, yes?"

Leaf responded a beat late.

She definitely seems lost in thought.

"If it's difficult, we can do it later."

"Ah, no! That's not it... just... wondering where to start..."

Entering the training room, we sat in the chairs there.

Fortunately, three were prepared in case Hecate came.

Sitting in a triangle, Leaf removed her hood and touched her ears.

Short pointed ears.

While touching these ears that symbolize Half-Elves, Leaf began her story.

"I'm... a High Elf."

Huh?

That's Elf royalty...?

"And... I might be the last High Elf left in the world."