<Chapter 113>
[It’s a living person! Hey, are you okay?]
A few years ago, when I was trapped in the illusory world created by Arkane, I first witnessed a Clay, a high-ranking earth spirit.
Now, a lower-ranking earth spirit, resembling a tiny clay doll children would play with, rushed toward me. It tapped my leg with its stubby arms and spoke.
“Ah… yeah. I’m fine. But who brought you here?”
Momentarily taken aback, I asked, feeling a glimmer of hope.
[My summoner. There is an Earthworm outside too, so you’ll be able to leave the cave soon.]
“That’s a relief…”
I sighed in relief. I didn’t know who it was, but someone must have realized that a person was trapped in this cave and was trying to help.
Whatever the case, it was good that I’d finally be able to escape this darkness.
…Judging by my hunger, it hadn’t been a full day yet.
[More importantly, I need to find a young man. Do you know where he is?]
“Huh?”
I hesitated at the unexpected question.
“If you mean a young man, are you talking about this person?”
I pointed to the boy lying beside me, breathing evenly in his sleep.
[Found him! He’s not as fine as you, but he’s still alive.]
Something about the gnome’s reaction gave me a hint, so I asked uncertainly.
“Could it be… the person your summoner is trying to save is this boy?”
[Yeah. There’s a human next to my summoner who’s been crying noisily for a while. They keep saying this boy is their master or something.]
That person was most likely the boy’s attendant.
“Judging by his fine clothing and appearance…”
It was clear that he belonged to a noble family.
Boom!
“!”
Just as I was murmuring to myself, a tremor shook the cave, far stronger than before.
Crack!
“Ah…”
Blinding light poured through the collapsed rubble, illuminating the dark cave.
I raised my hand to shield my eyes, overcome with joy at the thought of finally escaping.
“…Y-Young Master!”
A man’s voice boomed through the cave, loud enough to make my ears ring.
Wait, Young Master?
“Oh no, oh no! Young Master, please wake up! You can’t leave like this…!”
As my eyes adjusted to the brightness, I turned to see a middle-aged man cradling the unconscious boy, wailing in despair.
“…Um, excuse me. He’s still alive.”
“S-Sob… What?”
He had been sobbing as if attending a funeral, so I spoke up, feeling pity for him. The man suddenly stopped crying and looked up in a daze.
“He was buried under the rubble, but listen carefully. His heart is still beating, and he’s still breathing.”
Instead of mourning, he should be doing something more useful.
“If you take him down to the village and get him medical attention, he’ll wake up.”
The most important thing now was to get proper treatment as soon as possible. I braced myself against the wall and stood up, looking down at them.
“Ah, I see. But wait, the Young Master was buried under rubble?! My goodness! But then… how did he end up here…?”
“It’s embarrassing to say it myself, but…”
I couldn’t exactly tell him that the Spirit King of Death had pulled his master out of the rubble.
“I dug him out…Though I couldn’t do much else besides laying him down.”
“Good heavens! Then that means you are our Young Master’s savior!”
“…Huh?”
Before I could react to his overly passionate response, the man stood up, still holding the boy, and gave me a sharp look.
“We cannot let our Young Master’s benefactor leave just like that. Please, come with us. Once he regains consciousness, he will surely wish to repay your kindness.”
“No… There’s no need for that. I only did what any decent person would do.”
“Incredible! Not only are you beautiful, but you also have such a noble spirit! We cannot simply let you go. Please, come with us!”
“No, really, it’s fine—”
I was left speechless by his insistence.
I was already anxious about wasting time, and if I followed them, who knew how long it would delay me further?
‘I have no choice but to secretly escape’
I had made up my mind to slip away unnoticed. But just as I cautiously began to step back…
“The Duchy of Bastevan never forgets a favor!”
…What?
A name I never expected to hear in this place suddenly reached my ears.
“What… did you just say?”
Forgetting all about my escape, I asked in shock.
“Ah, my lady, you probably wouldn’t know. The person you saved is none other than the sole heir of House Bastevan…”
‘Edith, though your maternal family was wiped out, you are still the only heir left of Bastevan. You should at least have a general understanding of your lineage.’
A memory from my childhood echoed faintly in my mind, like a midsummer dream—words my grandfather once told me.
“He is His Grace, Sian Orca Bastevan.”
At the moment his name struck my ears, the clouds shifted, dimming the sunlight. And yet, as if in defiance of the fading light, a brilliant radiance poured down solely on the unconscious boy in his attendant’s arms.
* * *
Sian Orca Bastevan, Duke of Bastevan.
He was the father of my maternal grandfather, Siorn Arkaites Bastevan.
‘My father was a man of true justice. So pure that it was hard to believe he was the head of a great noble house. Because of that, my mother struggled a lot.’
‘She had to take the lead in managing the family, as he was not exactly the most reliable husband to support her.’
“Rose! Rose!”
A clear voice rang in my ears, pulling me from my thoughts.
Turning my head, I saw a boy so beautiful he could be mistaken for a girl, smiling brightly at me.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
‘…You.’
No, to be precise, I was thinking about the stories my grandfather had told me about his father.
“Nothing, really.”
Of course, I could never say that out loud.
So I brushed it off with a faint smile, and the boy, Sian Orca Bastevan, gazed at me with golden eyes, shining with innocent curiosity.
It was a familiar look.
***
Just as my grandfather had described, my great-grandfather, upon regaining consciousness after two days, simply stared blankly at the ceiling.
And when I hurried to his side upon hearing the news of his awakening…
“Whoa… Are you a Nereid?”
“…Excuse me?”
“You’re really pretty…”
After leaving such a remark, one that instantly revealed his personality, he promptly lost consciousness again.
In the silence that followed, I thought to myself,
My grandfather had his innocent moments too, but my great-grandfather was on a whole other level.
* * *
A few days later, now fully recovered, Sian spoke up again.
“Rose, why did you say you came to the Roshan Empire?”
…It felt strange to call someone so youthful my “great-grandfather,” so I resolved to simply call him Sian from now on.
“I plan to visit the Fire Temple.”
To be exact, I had come to the Roshan Empire hoping it would be easier to track down the whereabouts of a certain relic.
But encountering my great-grandfather in the process?
That was beyond unexpected.
I suppressed a sigh as I thought this to myself.
“Ugh, they keep making me drink these bitter tonics, saying I need to recover quickly. It’s so awful, I think it’s messing with my memory.”
Sian pouted at his overprotective attendant before burying his face in the soft bedding.
“But why the Fire Temple?”
“…No reason. I just like temples.”
What was I supposed to say?
It was easier to just pretend to be a temple enthusiast.
As I gave my half-hearted answer, Sian’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“Then, why don’t you visit the Temple of Light with me?”
“…The Temple of Light?”
For a moment, I wondered if I had misheard.
After the fall of the Lumen Empire, the imperial family had changed their status to the Grand Duchy of Hailien…
But a Temple of Light?
Neither Count Jupes nor Roberick had ever mentioned such a place.
“Yes. It’s all in ruins now, just the foundation remains. Only a handful of people even know about it. It’s in such a fragile state that if war ever breaks out, it’ll turn to ashes in an instant. That’s why I’ve always wanted to visit it before that happens.”
As I listened to Sian’s explanation, I finally understood why I had never heard of the Temple of Light.
It must have been so severely damaged that it completely disappeared after the calamity occurred.
“So, on my way there, I was unlucky enough to get caught in a landslide and ended up like this. But, thinking about it now, it’s not such a bad thing since it means I get to visit it with my lifesaver, Rose.”
Hearing his carefree voice, I sank into thought.
Aside from the beings who maintained the balance of the universe and Ilipia, there was only one entity capable of truly opposing Arkane.
The Spirit King of Light, Ignis.
Though because the Spirit Kings were forbidden from directly intervening in the mortal realm, he couldn’t offer me any practical help.
So at this point, without any leads, I was left aimlessly digging through ruins in a wasteland.
“…Alright. Let’s go together.”
“Really? That’s great! Wait here, I’ll go tell Nox!”
As I watched Sian excitedly run off, I couldn’t help but think,
Grasping at straws by visiting the ruins of the Temple of Light might not be such a bad idea after all.
