Chapter 188: Chapter 184: Glimpse

Translator: Tseirp

After I’ve tried my new powers, I brought Nadia and Lydia along to the fountain located in the center of Nelldal but Orford-san was already there on a bench beside the fountain reading a book.

“Orford-san, sorry to have kept you waiting.”

When I apologized to him, Orford-san stopped reading his book but he suddenly chanted magic.

I was on guard for a moment but the magic he cast was not attack magic but a green barrier with the fountain as the center.

“We won’t have to worry about others peeping and eavesdropping with this. Luciel-dono, the explosion at the training ground just now was tremendous but … wow, I’m surprised you became a Sage through your own efforts.”

Maybe Orford-san used Appraisal as he had a stunned expression.

When Pope-sama told me to watch out for eavesdroppers, she probably wasn’t referring to Orford-san who possess the Appraisal skill but as a warning to me to remain vigilant against the other countries.

I could clearly see that now. Also at the same time, I tried to confirm if the person in front of me was the Wind Spirit or Orford-san.

“Would I lose my divine protection if I shout that out here?”

“I thought I told you that is a secret!! Don’t you dare!”

He looked at me with a serious look and with dreadful threatening attitude so I stopped.

It looks like it was currently the Wind Spirit.

However, I didn’t understand why the Wind Spirit would be so cautious towards the surroundings.

Since the Wind Spirit should own quite a wide territory.

“Why are you so wary? Moreover, Orford-san knows about this right?”

“Umu. But Orford is already an old man … it won’t be strange if he grows senile anytime …”

Even though it’s the Wind Spirit, it didn’t sound like it was a trivial matter so I reluctantly pursued the topic further.

“But that doesn’t answer my question?”

“This fellow still has not elected his essential successor. That’s why I have no choice but to appear on the surface and let that Orford worry about who to select as his successor on the inside.”

It was considerably more important that I had imagined.

“Since when has he been thinking about it?”

“It has already been this way for a couple of years. Seriously, I thought I signed a contract with a terrific guy but I’ve been regretting it lately.”

The Wind Spirit made a pose to show it was fed up but it also looked like it was somehow enjoying it too.

Then, a thought suddenly passed through my mind.

” … Have we not even conversed with Orford-san until now by any chance?”

“No, you all have. I can safely say that when you all first arrived at Nelldal, when the honey was involved and later when you all first began magic training, he was observing you all seriously.”

The Wind Spirit said earnestly with a friendly smile.

If that’s the case, then it really was Orford-san who created that stack of materials.

Even though he was doing it so half-heartedly at that start … he gradually became more cooperative so something might have happened.

But I was bothered by one matter, wouldn’t he have noticed the real reason as to why Nadia couldn’t use magic?

“Is that so?”

“He told me that the figures of youngsters single-mindedly working hard, especially in the pursuit of magic, reminded himself of his youth.”

Maybe although the people who come to Nelldal researched magic with him, there probably wasn’t anybody who tried to master the essence of magic … wait, maybe that was what he was grieving about before.

… Maybe the letter from Pope-sama also asked about the development of magic tools and such so he was displeased?

I became slightly uneasy.

“Well then, it won’t help even if we talked about it here so let’s first go to the center. Enter the fountain.”

” … It would dirty the water and it should be something that good kids shouldn’t imitate?”

“This is just a magic tool made to look like a fountain. You won’t get wet even if you entered it.”

I believed its words and when I stepped into the fountain, I really didn’t get wet at all.

Then, the Wind Spirit chanted something and the fountain sunk into the ground.

The surroundings were all walls so I couldn’t peek to see what was inside.

“Is this a magic elevator?”

“That’s right. But this one has a trick. Only me and Orford can activate this. That’s right! Would you like to learn how to activate it?”

I felt a strange chill at that time for some reason so I refused.

“I’ll have to decline. We’ll probably only stay here for a few more days only anyway.”

” … That’s a shame.”

The magic elevator stopped the same time the Wind Spirit remarked that it was a shame and it looked like we had arrived at our destination.

A large space appeared in front of my eyes and I understood that this was the boss room in a labyrinth made evident by the existence of the sealed door in front of me.

” … Why was this place hidden from us when we came to Nelldal?”

“I wonder~? Probably because he recalled that Pope Fluna once turned him down here or that he was jealous of how you have become her favorite. Fofofo.”

I see. It’s true that although Pope-sama looks like she’s about 20 years old, she’s a member of the long-lived race and has already lived for centuries.

She gives off a mysterious impression that can’t be felt from a regular elf so it’s understandable.

However, even though the jealousy of an elderly is hard to resolve, it seemed like we resolved it without knowing.

“It can’t be helped if that’s the case.”

I walked towards the sealed door as I gave a wry grin but the sealed door had already been opened.

” … The sealed door is open? This … ”

“Ever since I came to Nelldal, there has always been a gap about that size. Even if a person is capable of coming here, an ordinary person would not be permitted to enter so it’s probably not an issue.”

I don’t feel anything but are Nadia and Lydia alright?

I became worried and when I looked, Nadia seemed fine but Lydia didn’t look like she was feeling well as her complexion was pale.

“Is Orford-san’s body alright?”

“No, it’s under the pressure of a considerable burden. Nothing serious will happen if I leave his actual body but Orford has also not left the realms of a human.”

It sounded like it just bluntly certified that I am no longer human but Lydia’s complexion was bad so I swallowed his words and asked the Wind Spirit.

” … Then could you look after Lydia? Nadia and I would enter.”

“Luciel-sama, I can go too.”

Lydia wanted to follow but the Wind Spirit cut in between us and stopped her.

“Ojou-chan can study Wind Spirit Magic with me here.”

“But …”

It seems like it had planned to instruct Lydia on magic since the beginning.

The Wind Spirit smiled.

Even so, Lydia still looked at me with imploring eyes but then Nadia began to persuade her.

“Lydia, leave Luciel-sama to me. I also have to carry out the duty I have as the Dragon Priestess and Lydia should also fulfill your duty as the possessor of the Spirit God’s divine protection.”

“Onee-sama … okay. The two of you please be careful.”

She was quickly convinced to do what she must.

There was no tragic separation.

“Alright. So Wind Spirit, please take care of Lydia. I’ll meet the Twin Dragons with Nadia.”

“Umu. Leave it to me.”

Then, Nadia and I dove through the dragon sealed door.

“I’m nervous. There isn’t an oppressive sensation but I feel like I’m being watched.”

“Well, the Twin Dragons will probably come out soon.”

There were stairs immediately after we stepped through the door and we proceeded by descending the stairs.

And I planned to chant Sanctuary Circle as usual the instant I saw the Twin Dragons once we reached the bottom of the stairs but I couldn’t do so.

《Sage, come let us see you.》

《And Sage, we will show you your possibilities.》

《《We will not gift our divine protection to a cowardly person.》》n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Those voices echoed in my head so I stopped my activation of Sanctuary Circle.

I don’t particularly need the divine protection but neither do I want to die an early death.

“I was just spoken to by the dragons but did you hear it?”

” … What are you talking about?”

It looked like Nadia didn’t hear the voices so I was skeptical about the purpose of her Dragon Priestess title.

“The dragons contacted me so there might be a battle. Get ready.”

“Yes.”

When we descended down the stairs completely, the Water Dragon and the Wind Dragon showed themselves.

Unlike the dragons that I’ve seen until now, not only did they retain their consciousness, it also didn’t look like they were under the curse of the Evil God as they looked down upon us from the sky.

Eh? Maybe it will conclude without a battle this time … I thought.

《Firstly, Sage and Dragon Priestess, congratulations on reaching this location.》

《I thank you for dispelling the curse of the Evil God on my brethren.》

“Everything took care of itself in its own course but I am glad that I was of use.”

The Twin Dragons were capable of speech and there was no oppressive feeling so I could converse with them in a relaxing atmosphere.

《However, we are the strongest species in history.》

《One can only prove oneself through battle.》

However, it seemed like Supreme Luck-sensei was stricter compared to Great Luck-sensei as the conversation was somehow developing towards a strange direction.

” … Do the two of you plan to battle amongst yourselves?”

《Gahaha. Tonight’s Sage is interesting.》

《The one fighting us is you.》

《Of course, I won’t fight seriously.》

《But, we will be using the strength of our brethren so we’ll be attacking with attacks other than those that will instant-kill you.》

《We’ll give you our divine protection if you can splendidly fight us.》

《《Make us acknowledge you using your own strength.》》

I screamed internally that this world doesn’t just have the Evil God and Death God as the Twin Dragons in front of my eyes laughed with shining eyes.

That scene somehow reminded me of the time when Shisho trained me.

Then I realized. In the end, the Twin Dragons are just battle maniacs.

The dragon race itself is most likely made up of battle maniacs and their power was most likely restrained by the Evil God’s curse such that they didn’t end up killing me.

That’s why Supreme Luck-sensei probably made me battle the dragons as a trial as it would let me experience growth … I looked for a means to escape as I had that thought.

I could understand but I cannot possibly be convinced by it.

But I don’t believe the twin dragons would give me the chance to escape … ? That’s when I noticed that Nadia’s condition was strange.

Looking at Nadia, her forehead was glistening with beads of sweat and it felt like her eyes had lost their shine.

“Please hold the battle, Nadia’s condition seems weird.”

But I was the only person perturbed by it, the twin dragons didn’t show any indication of worry.

《Don’t worry. We won’t harm the Priestess.》

《She must currently be speaking with Dragon God-sama through us.》

《Send the Priestess to the stairs and I’ll be his opponent first.》

The Water Dragon said.

《I’ll look after the Priestess so you can safely exert your full strength.》

The Wind Dragon said as it manipulated the wind that caused Nadia’s body to float in the air and after she was carried to the bottom of the stairs we descended down earlier, she was visibly covered with a green membrane.

Then, the Water Dragon’s voice echoed in my head.

《I will allow you to challenge me any number of times.》

《However, if you give up, I will not acknowledge you regardless of what Sage you become.》

《If you want tranquillity, seek might, knowledge and harmony.》

《If you do so, your dream will come true.》

《《Death through old age … Gahahaha.》

Setting aside how they knew my dream, looking at the Twin Dragons that burst out laughing in the sky, I wondered why can’t they just skip all this, give me their divine protection and quickly let me go home?

I sincerely hoped for that in my heart.

Author’s note:

Thank you for reading.