Swamp Battle 1
When Melvina woke up, she was in the study room at Soderholm Castle.
The study room was completely cleared out, with only an unlit lamp on the desk in front of the sofa on which she had slept.
Last night she had not been able to return to the guesthouse in the pioneer village.
After writing a letter to a friend at the Holy Sword Academy asking her to send specifications for farm equipment, she finished cleaning up the study room.
She filed the piles of papers on the floor and put them back on the shelves, and put a nametag between each clump of files on the shelves indicating what year and month they were from and what kind of materials were on the shelves―― something like that. As she was doing this, she realized that it was almost dawn.
Melvina asked a soldier on patrol if she could stay in the study, borrowed a blanket, and lay down on the sofa.
"I have to make breakfast soon. Whether or not they can eat something warm will affect everyone’s morale."
Melvina folded the blanket, picked up the lamp from the desk and hung it on the hook on the wall.
She was worried if Christo would be able to get up properly, but Patricia was over there. Around the same time, she sent her a letter saying, [I won't be coming home today]. If she had gotten the letter, she would wake Christo up on time and make him breakfast.
Melvina should stay here and concentrate on the work that the Frontier Count had asked her to do.
After stretching a lot several times, Melvina left the study room and quickly headed for the dining room.
As she walks down the hallway while cleaning her face with rune magic, she bumps into a brown-skinned nun at the turn to the stairs.
"Good morning, Laranoa-sensei."
"Ara, good morning, Melvina-san. Did you sleep well last night?"
"Yes. I've cleaned up everything in the study room. Now some of you can sleep in the study room tomorrow."
"Have you finished organizing? Already?"
"Yes"
"I-Is that so...? Understood. I'll let His Excellency know."
"Please do so."
"I also sent the letter about the new farming tools last night. Considering the distance, it should be there this evening."
"Thank you. ――Um, I was wondering if you have received any letters addressed to me?"
"No, as far as I know. When will there be a regular service? Isn't it sent over there?"
Melvina shook her head.
Expecting an answer from her younger brothers on the hero territory.
Especially from Finn Lou.
She sent a letter confirming the fact that he had sent assassins to Patricia.
She paid a lot of money to send it by express, but she still hasn't heard back from them. She also sent it to her grandfather and her teacher, but there was no reply from either of them.
Patricia told her that the bodies of those who had attacked the Lowell mansion had vanished without a trace, except for a corpse with a smashed face.
She wondered what she would do if there was a corpse of her grandfather and teacher in it.
Or rather, since there is no reply, it is highly likely that the two of them were slain by Lowell's knights.
(Sebastian. Without you, the Hero Territory would be...)
Melvina pulls her mouth tightly to the side.
She had decided not to get involved with the family as much as possible, but when the Hero Territory got into trouble, she couldn't pretend she didn't know.
Now that a truce was signed between the dragons, the Night Empire, and the Kingdom of Yggdrasil, the significance of the hero family's existence was rapidly disappearing. Of course, it doesn't mean that there won't be any battles with the demons in the future, so they would be able to keep their territory for a while, but once that [a while] was over, the story would change.
Now is the time to play it smart so as not to give the king an excuse to seize the territory later on. Finn probably does not understand this.
Or perhaps he does, but he thinks it is none of his business.
Because he has ten years left to live.
Finn's life will probably come to an end before the hero family is destroyed.
If that is the case, it would be strange for him to be able to think in the long term.
"――Melvina-san?"
"......! Y-yes!"
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. Then I will go to the kitchen to make breakfast for everyone."
"Don't you have to go back to the guesthouse? I'm sure you already prepared the food last night, right? I can at least cook it over the fire."
"Even if I go back, Christo-san has already left the house. I can't just be sleeping in bed while he's working hard. Please let me make breakfast for everyone."
"Really? If you want to sleep, you can go back and sleep."
"I'm fine!"
"I see. Well then, I'm looking forward to breakfast."
"Yes"
Laranoa smiles softly and walks towards the study room.
She seemed to have some business in the closet next to the study room.
(Well then, let's do our best too)
Melvina turned her eyes away from Laranoa's back and began to lightly descend the stairs.
× × ×
The monster hunting operation that started yesterday under the command of Christo brought the former Soderholm territory a bounty of monster materials.
Most of the materials were transported to the Adventurer's Guild branch, but some were also transported to Soderholm Castle. The inside of the castle stinks because of the corpses of monsters, but since Netzel's private army also needs information about monsters, it can't be helped.
In the square in front of the castle, werewolves, trolls, and the severely damaged wreckage of the [Wood Woman] were spread out on a large cloth, while guild staff and other experts were giving necessary explanations to Netzel and others.
Netzel participated by wearing a cover on his nose and smearing juniper perfume under it. He looked so disgusted that he was about to throw up all the breakfast he had just put into his stomach.
"The [Wood Woman] here was in a lifeless state near the defense wall in the north forest. As you can see, the core in her abdomen was precisely shot through with something hot. Immediately after her death, she was probably almost fully formed, but then she was trampled by the monster, and the damage has increased."
The guild staff continued to explain.
"Around the pierced core, there are a lot of tree root-like things sticking out. It's not densely packed with tree roots. It's weak point is either the heart or the brain. It doesn't have features like the [Wood Woman] that don't have a heart or that the brain is covered in spores."
"So what is the [Wood Woman]?"
"Well...? I don't know, so I'm going to register it as a dryad for the time being."
"It's like the roots of this tree, but every werewolf, troll, and even one of the goblins had it embedded somewhere in their bodies."
Another employee interjects.
"Not a tree root the size of a frying pan embedded in the abdomen like the [Wood Woman], but one root embedded in the brain, heart, abdomen, reproductive organs, and various other places. So I am sure that [Wood Woman] is just another dryad with this unfamiliar tree root embedded in it."
(The [tree roots] these people are talking about are not the roots of some kind of plant, are they?)
Melvina thinks so while listening from the depths of the crowd.
Probably a new kind of parasite.
It's the same kind of thing that was parasitic on the belly of Yattrud that she defeated before.
The fact that it was implanted in every werewolf, troll, and even one of the goblins is no doubt because the god of the swamp implanted it to keep track of the beasts under its command or to prevent them from betraying it.
Because of this [tree root] in the body, werewolves and trolls cannot defy the god of the swamp. For example, if the god of the swamp ordered [attack the village], the village would continue to be forcibly attacked until the instruction was withdrawn.
(The god of the swamp is either in a symbiotic relationship with this tree-root-shaped parasite, or in a relationship of unilaterally using it. I see. So even the king-class devil that has taken the place of Baron Ixel loses the turf war).
She doesn't know how strong the god of the swamp itself is.
However, if it can integrate the consciousness of swamp creatures using the tree roots and manipulate them at will, it means that it could handle an army more powerful than a poorly trained army.
Even if the main body is weak, it can beat up Baron Ixel and his private army just by pushing the swamp monsters from a safe distance in a mass campaign.
(Christo-san was going to negotiate with the god of the swamp to get earth magic. But it's dangerous. Though I'm sure Christo-san would be able to get it in a million different ways......)
Suddenly, Setanta's figure flickered into view.
Setanta was strong, but was defeated by a masked demon named Godfred Salvatori and turned into a holy tree.
Just when she thought Setanta would be okay, that tragedy happened.
When she thinks about it, she doesn't want to send Christo to death.
However, Melvina is still in a position to be protected, and she has no right to insist that he not go. All she could do was pray for Christo's safety.
With a sad feeling, she averts her eyes from the wreckage of the [Wood Woman].
Then, at the edge of her vision, the figure of a black-haired female mage suddenly crossed.
Laira Almqvist.
A mage of the Alchemy Department of the Magic Association.
According to her, she came to this region in search of the Philosopher's Stone.
(Come to think of it, she once said something like, [In the swamp, there are the remnants of a holy tree that stood hundreds of years ago.])
At that time, it was her first meeting with Laira, and Christo was there, so she let it flow freely, but now that she thinks about it, she wants to hear the details.
Speaking of the Holy Tree, she's talking about the Holy Tree in the royal capital.
Other than that, she only knew about the fragments of the holy tree that fall in the Hero Territory's [Meteor Valley].
What could be the result of a holy tree that came down hundreds of years ago?
Melvina quietly left the group and followed Laira outside the fence of Soderholm Castle―― towards the bottom of the cliff.
× × ×
“――Yes. Things are going well. Now all that is left to do is―――― at the far end of the swamp―――― simply collect"
Below the cliff.
Laira's faint voice echoes in the riverbank, where tall reeds grow.
As Melvina killed her presence and crept up behind her, the blood-red-eyed crow that Laira was talking to flew out of her arms.
"――Oya, Melvina-san. What's wrong?"
Laira turns around in her usual tone.
Melvina, with a smiling face, looks at the magic staff in Laira's hand with caution.
"No, I saw Laira-san going down the cliff. It's dangerous here, so I chased after you to tell you to turn back."
"Oh, I see. Thank you for your concern."
"No. More importantly, you were talking to someone. I had no intention of eavesdropping. However, I may have heard only the last part in fragments. Please forgive me for my rudeness."
"Ah. It's not a big deal, and it's fine if it's not intentional. I got a call from someone higher up scolding me. They found out that I was trying to monopolize the philosopher's stone. They wanted me to play a part, and I had to take it."
"It seems that the Magic Association has a lot of ties."
"There are a lot of them. However, all organizations are bound by the same rules. It's the same at Netzel's place, and it's the same at the Band of the Great Hawk of Salvation. If you don't like it, you can go freelance. Though you lose stability."
"By the way, there's something I wanted to ask you, Laira-san."
Melvina spun words while watching the expression of the black-haired mage.
She had always lived by looking at people's complexions, so she's good at picking out people's emotions from their facial expressions and gestures.
Laira is expressionless, but the movements of her facial muscles aren't the only way to read her emotions.
The movement of the eyes, the timing of breathing.
Hand position, foot movement, pitch of voice, speed of speech, amount of perspiration.
Even the smell that someone gives off gives her a hint of what the person is thinking.
"What is it? Ask me anything. I'll answer anything I can."
"It's about the old Christo."
Melvina dares to miss the target.
"I wanted to know what you know about Christopher Soderholm. I have been dating him for the last month. ――He is very kind, very brave, and very mysterious. Sometimes I don't know what he is thinking, and sometimes I don't understand what he is saying. That's one of Christo-san's charms, but for me, I want to know as much as possible about him."
"It's natural. It's because you like the other person that you want to know more about them. ――That's right."
Laira thoughtfully looked up at the sky.
"Christopher. I wonder what kind of person he is. I'm not sure if I understand everything about him. I mean, I don't know everything about him. I've been with him for about three years, so I think I know most of what he's like."
"What kind of person is Christo-san? The people of the village unanimously answered that he was a [kind, clever and a good guy]. Since long ago, he would grant them any request as long as they paid the price."
"Kind and clever. In particular, the performance of his brain is different from that of a normal person. If I had a donkey pulling my baggage, he would have five young war horses pulling a cart."
Laira continued.
"It is also true that whatever you wish for, he will grant it. He's a good guy. ――But on the other hand, I think he is a very scary man. He is ruthless and cold-hearted. When he cuts people down, he cuts them down easily. He probably has no hesitation in killing people. He is kind to his allies, but if they are his enemies, he will show no mercy. They are the worst kind of people in the world to be enemies with."
"――――"
For a moment, Melvina didn't quite understand what Laira was saying.
Being kind to allies is natural.
It's only natural to show no mercy to your enemies.
If you let the enemy live, their sword might turn against you.
If that's the case, one will have to mercilessly smash it so that one won't be able to face it again.
Of course, there are times when you have to commit murder, but you are a second-rate warrior if you hesitate.
"Christo-san is planning to go see the god of the swamp for the sake of everyone in the pioneer village."
"He said that yesterday. He's going to get some earth magic that will make the fields more fruitful, right?"
"I can't stop Christo-san. But there is a bad feeling coming from deep in the swamp. It's a very ominous feeling. Laira-san, you once told me that the swamp contains the [remnants] of a holy tree that was alive hundreds of years ago."
"Yeah"
"What is [the remnants of a holy tree that stood hundreds of years ago]? Is such a thing really deep in the swamp?"
When Melvina asked that, Laira gave a bitter smile.
"As I said before, all my stories are based on the prophetess's words. I just wrote down and memorized what the prophetess said in her trance. So I'm not sure if there is such a thing as [the remnants of the Holy Tree]......"
Laira continued after declining, [From here on, it's just my delusion].
"The [Meteor Valley] is said to have fragments of the holy tree falling from the sky. I think that the holy tree that stands tall in the capital was just one of the fragments that fell from the sky a long time ago. It was supposed to be nothing more than a shining branch that would eventually shatter without taking root in the ground, but it succeeded in taking root in this land by obtaining some kind of a dependent. The big holy tree on the mountain of holy tree is an example of success. If that's so, I thought, maybe there are holy trees that have failed along the way."
"Are there remnants of holy trees in the swamp that failed to take root on this planet?"
"If you believe in prophecy, I think that's possible. I don't know, though."
"I see"
When Melvina lowered her gaze thoughtfully, Laira asked, [Are you satisfied with this answer?] and folded her hands behind her back.
Melvina nodded once.
"Yes. I'm sorry for asking something strange."
"It's okay, it's okay. Oh, then, can I ask you a question?"
"If it's something I can answer"
"You're from the hero family, aren't you? Moreover, you have a strong blood connection with the previous hero."
"Yes. The predecessor was my brother Setanta. The current head of the family, Finn, is my younger brother."
"As expected. That blond hair, blue eyes, and even so, you're using the surname of [Lou], so there's no doubt about it."
Laira looked at Melvina with interest.
"Is it true that you can't use holy arts?"
"Yeah, I can't use it at all."
"Even though your older brother and younger brother can use it?"
"Yeah"
"Are all those born of women incapable of using the holy arts?"
"That's what they say. In fact, even if I look at the records of the family, none of those born to women could use holy arts, and were shunned by the noble society."
When Melvina answered indifferently, Laira groaned, [Hmm].
"It's strange. If you're a man, you'll become the strongest holy art user, but if you're a woman, you can't use holy arts at all. Do you have any idea why it's like that?"
"No"
"I see. There are many strange things in the world."
"Yes. I'd like to know how it works."
"That's right. You are the one who feels frustrated because you can't use holy arts. If you understand how it works, you might be able to use holy arts, too."
"Like the [Wood Woman]?"
"I see. Since the [Wood Woman] is also a monster, they shouldn't be able to use holy arts. But why can they use it?"
"――――"
What crossed Melvina's mind was [Schneizel's Parasitic Tree Theory], a heretical theory suppressed by the church.
For some reason, the [Wood Woman] can use holy arts.
The prophetess gave Laira the story that the [remnants of the holy tree] were sleeping in the swamp.
What exactly is the god of the swamp?
Everything seemed to be connected by a single thread, but the whole picture was still too hard to grasp.
Melvina held out her right hand to Laira.
"Would you like to go up for now? There is a possibility of falling rocks here, so it's dangerous."
× × ×
"Eltharion, Eltharion"
"Uu……"
Wandering in a sea of unconsciousness, Eltharion was suddenly awakened by the sensation of a tap on his shoulder.
A faint smell of gas that smells like iron rust.
The smell of a woman's sweat mixed with it.
When Eltharion opened his eyes thinly, a freckled woman―― Ulrika was looking down at him with a worried look.
"Ulrika"
Eltharion tries to raise his body with his right hand and fails.
When he lifted his upper body with the strength of his abdominal muscles, it was the swampy area where he was resting.
There was a bed of moss in the center of the circular area, reminiscent of ancient ruins, where he had slept until just now. He felt as if 90% of his body's strength had been drained away.
When Eltharion looked down at the wound on his right shoulder, the ashes of a glowing blue holy tree were seething.
After that, he fled back to the swamp, but even with the holy arts that the [Wood Woman] manipulated, it was unable to remove the [Blue Ash].
At least, the [Blue Ashes] temporarily disappeared from his wounds when they drew a holy seal to take the blue particles and make them their own. However, not all of the [Blue Ashes] were gone from his body, and after a while, blue particles would spring out like insects and undermine Eltharion's body.
(My body moves. It's definitely better than last night. I don't know if I can use my authority, but I think I can at least use swamp magic. At least I won't be killed by giant spiders. But )
"I may not be able to survive."
"That's not true! If you take it easy, you'll definitely get better!"
"I couldn't heal it with the technique of the [Wood Woman]. In this swamp, there is no one with the skill and knowledge to heal the wounds inflicted by the holy sword. I will come closer to my death."
"What about the god of the swamp?"
Ulrika glanced around at the white mist around her.
"If it's your mother, I'm sure she'll heal this wound!"
"The god of the swamp won't help me."
"Why?"
At Ulrika's words, Eltharion reflexively looked to the side of the moss bed.
There, something like blood-stained tree roots was withered and lying empty.
"Is it because your mother is against you marrying me?"
"That's right. We're in a fight, so maybe the god of the swamp won't help us."
"No way..."
"It's not Ulrika's fault. Don't look sad."
"But"
"――――"
Eltharion closed his eyes and thought.
At this rate, he will die.
Something must be done before he dies.
Luckily, his strength returned to some extent.
His physical condition is not bad, probably because he is in a lull.
"Out of the swamp."
Eltharion opened his eyes and stared at Ulrika.
"If I sit here, I'll just wait for death. Then I'll abandon this land and go on a journey to find a person who can heal the wounds inflicted by the holy sword."
"Abandon this land"
"That's right."
"Are you going to throw away the swamp, your mother?"
"Yes. The god I loved is no more."
"――――"
"Ulrika. Will you come with me?"
Eltharion suggested that to Ulrika with a quiet will in his eyes.
Ulrika's eyes were downcast as if she were lost.
She is the girl who refuses to become a demon in order to live at the same time as everyone else in the village.
Traveling away from this land would be almost unacceptable.
But Eltharion wanted Ulrika to come with him.
Ever since Eltharion was born, he has been bound to this land.
He was not allowed to leave the swamp.
After he grew up and started helping the god of the swamp, he was allowed to go out to the northern forest, but he could not see the world beyond that point.
A wedge driven into the swamp.
In Eltharion's hands and feet were invisible chains.
With the chains stretched out in the northern forest, Eltharion could only smell the glamorous world outside by listening to the stories of the [Wood Woman] and Ulrika.
For Eltharion, Ulrika was the outside world.
And she was the first friend who could think logically.
He doesn't want to let go of her.
Eventually, he wants them to become a pair and have a child.
He knows what this feeling is called.
Love.
Eltharion loves Ulrika.
"The outside world is full of danger. Your lifespan is also short. During your journey, you will mutate into an elf. If you make the decision to leave this land, you will not be with those in the village anyway. Right?"
"Y-yeah."
"I won't force you. If you follow me and I die on the journey, you will be alone. You will spend a long time on the run from humans. I want you to make your decision carefully."
"If I refuse"
Ulrika stared at the scar on his shoulder.
"Will Eltharion travel alone?"
"Because I'll only die if I stay here."
"Okay, I'll go with you. I will not leave you alone."
Ulrika said so with determined eyes.
"Are you sure?"
"It is selfish of me to be lonely or afraid of being alone. I don't want Eltharion to be alone now because of such nonsense. You saved my life once. I'll do anything, even if I turn into an elf. I'll do whatever I can until you feel better."
"……Thank you"
Eltharion muttered so and called the [Wood Woman].
"I command you in the name of the god. Deliver this catalog to Christopher Soderholm. Never give it to another human. I will meet with him again. He is the one who has the Primordial Elixir. I will deal with him."
Eltharion said so and tried to lie down on the moss bed again.
But before that, in the forest to the north, he noticed something approaching them with terrifying speed.
It is still a long way.
But eventually, it will pass through the depths of the northern forest and come to the swamp.
Eltharion's intuition tells him that only he can defeat the approaching mysterious being.
"Eltharion?"
"Ulrika. You stay here."
"Where are you going?"
"A visitor. It just passed through the middle layer of the northern forest.... the speed has slowed down a bit. Is it moving while making a map?"
Eltharion rose from his bed.
"The barrier needs to be reestablished. We'll ask our guest to leave without question."
"An adventurer?"
Eltharion smiled at Ulrika, whose expression clouded over.
"I'll be right back."
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