Chương 27: Chapter 26: Like Cockroaches

Rivian watched Yuto with a pale face. Orc and human blood had splashed all over his body, and both hands still held the head of the man whose neck he had just snapped. The tongue lolled out of the man's head. Rivian glanced at the face of the dead body, then at Yuto's icy expression. Then she spoke up hesitantly.

"Did you... Did you have to kill them?" she asked.

"Is there a reason not to?" Yuto asked. He let go of the head and straightened up.

"All I did was to rid the city of some pests. What would you do if you saw a cockroach in your room?" he asked. When she said nothing, he added a different remark.

"Actually, perhaps that is the wrong example. You are a Marigold. There would be no cockroaches in your room," he said.

"Please don't be sarcastic," Rivian said, shaking her head and sighing.

"It's just... I... um..." She wasn't sure what to say. There were so many words floating around in her head, but she couldn't seem to organize them enough to speak. It was difficult for her to accept that Yuto, who was only two years younger than her, could kill people so cruelly and so calmly. Yuto was not a noble like Rivian, of course. She didn't know everything about him, of course, but he was an adventurer, and despite his young age, he was such a good fighter that he could easily defeat knights.

But the power he controls... It's different from magic. It looks like something like a Constellation might give him. There were plenty of nobles who turned adventurer, but Yuto had not looked like one when he had first visited the Marigold mansion. She had seen his adventurer's identification before and had confirmed he was not a noble. How could a lower-class adventurer receive the blessing of a Constellation? That was impossible, as far as Rivian knew.

The closer we got to Velkyne, the touchier and more emotional he became. And now he's... Yuto watched the hesitant Rivian.

"Rivian Marigold, go back to Merchant City."

"Right... Wait, what?"

"This place is far more dangerous than we expected. If you continue to accompany me, we will encounter even greater dangers eventually," he said. He turned his head to look at the royal castle, which stood beyond the purple fog.

"I told you that the sword I'm looking for is in the royal castle. It is apparently filled with black mages, the number of whom I can't estimate." She listened without a word.

"And I plan to destroy every single one of those crystals in the city before I head to the castle."

"So that's why you want me to leave? Because it's too dangerous?" she asked.

"That's right."

"No," Rivian said, shaking her head and frowning.

"If it's dangerous for me, then it's also dangerous for you. Didn't I tell you in Merchant City? I am at the top of my class in magical healing." Yuto didn't remark on this.

"I may not be as talented as you in battle, but I am confident I can support you well. I noticed your power. You're trying not to use it if possible, to avoid wasting ether. Well, there are many ways I can help you with that."

"You're obstinate."

"I am told that all the time. Yuto, I have something I wish to ask you. You don't have to feel obligated to answer me, but it is frustrating that I don't know it." Rivian sighed heavily, pulled out a handkerchief, and dampened it against a glob of water.

"Are you part of Velkyne's royal family?" She then handed the handkerchief to Yuto. He didn't say anything, and Flokiro also clammed up. The silence clued her in, and she sighed again as if to say, I knew it.

"Sometimes, even silence can be an answer. No wonder... So this is why you grew so sensitive and rattled on the way to Velkyne, and why you keep making that face inside this city," she said.

"You said that the treasure you are looking for is somewhere deep inside the castle."

"Maybe I'm just a thief chasing a rumor."

"Don't be absurd," she said. Yuto did not reach for the handkerchief. Rivian sighed and began to wipe the blood from Yuto's face.

"I don't know your story, Yuto. But you saved my father's life, and I will never leave you here by yourself," she added.

"You're not hurt?"

"No," Yuto replied. He realized he would have to give up on trying to persuade her.

"Why don't we go to the royal castle first? Instead of destroying the crystals? If we do it in the order you described, the black mages might realize we're here. We don't want to give them time to prepare," This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Rivian said cautiously, but Yuto shook his head.

"They are probably already aware that we are in the city now. And they will be ready regardless of how quickly we get there. It's a better tactic to go after the crystals first and scatter their ether." The crystals installed in the ruins gathered negative ether from the spirits and delivered it to the royal castle. Magic consumed a lot of ether. It would give the black mages too much of an advantage to leave the crystals standing as they fought. Yuto had decided it was better to destroy them first.

"Not only that... The dead of this city are in pain because of those crystals, even now. I can't let that continue," Yuto muttered bitterly. Rivian made a sad face and nodded.

"All right. Then we will focus on destroying the crystals for now. Do you have ether to spare?"

"I have plenty, but not so much that I can waste it," he said.

"Then take this," Rivian said. She pulled a potion from a pouch at her waist. It was an ether potion, an extremely expensive concoction.

"I brought five of those just in case. And it's a good thing I did. I don't think you will need to drink it right away, but hold on to it."

"Thank you," he said, putting the potion into his own pocket. The three of them then returned to the carriage.

"Wait," Rivian said as Yuto tried to tug the reins. Then she closed her eyes and focused. She chanted a magic spell, and the surrounding ether rippled. Her staff, which she was holding up, produced a blue dove made of ether itself. It fluttered into the air.

"It's a spell that will help us explore. I've never tried this particular one before, but it should still be good enough. It will guide us to locations where there are high concentrations of polluted ether," she said.

"You can come up with a scouting spell of this quality on the spot?" Yuto asked, surprised. She smiled proudly and puffed her chest out.

"Mmhm. Yes. I told you. I am a top student of the Maria Academy." She was only a top student in healing magic, to be more precise. But that didn't mean she was only good at healing magic and nothing else. Her magic skills were among the best in the entire academy.

"Now, aren't you glad you didn't send me back?" she asked confidently. Yuto smiled awkwardly. The bird circled above the carriage for a moment, then fluttered into the fog. Yuto jerked on the reins, willing the Iron Horses to go forward. The carriage shook and vibrated as it raced down the badly cracked road. They rode hard, following the blue trajectory that the dove had left behind. The first destination was a square not too far away from where they had begun.

The citizens of Velkyne had once enjoyed festivals in this square, but now, instead of festive lanterns, it was a strange black crystal that floated in the air.

"Rivian, take the reins," Yuto said. The black mages' men had discovered the carriage that raced toward them. They stood there around the crystal, confused. Soon, they grew openly hostile and blocked the carriage's path.

"S-stop!" they shouted. There were more orcs among them than in the group that Yuto had encountered previously. The orcs had been brought here by the black mages since the beginning. They were different from the poor men or the criminals who came here looking for treasure. Is Dark Star cooperating with the orcs? He had no way of telling. Briefly, he considered capturing an orc and interrogating it, but he soon put the thought aside. Questioning an orc was a difficult and very involved process.

They did not feel fear easily and possessed strong group loyalty. It's probably better to just ask the black mages. Five orcs marched toward him, their feet thudding against the ground. The Iron Horses were quite large, but if five orcs came at them at the same time, the carriage would be forced to stop in its tracks.

"Flokiro!" Yuto yelled. Flokiro shot into the air instantly. Fire burst from his entire body, swirling as it went. It turned into a rain of flames. The flames blocked the orcs' view, and at that moment, Yuto lunged out of the horseman's seat. Void Hands appeared, with the black wisps turning into massive hands and grabbing two of the orcs. He didn't crush them right away, as he had done before, but instead tossed them like balls at the other orcs. Four orcs in total were sent sprawling.

Yuto landed on the ground but didn't slow down. The spear he had collected from the earlier battle was now in his hand. It soon pierced the chest of the remaining orc. The leather armor and thick hide weren't enough to stop the spear, which carried Yuto's full momentum. Yuto twisted, pulled it back out. Then he threw it again, this time at a terrified man who stood near the crystal. It shot right through the skull. The orcs were starting to get up from the ground, swearing.

He didn't have to hesitate to use his Void Skills, since he had the potion to replenish his ether. The Void Hands bunched into fists and hammered the orcs noisily. In no time at all, they were turned into a red, mushy paste.

"No... no, no, no!" The men who still remained around the crystal screamed and ran. Yuto pulled out his crossbow and put bolts in their backs. Two of them got away, but he didn't give chase. His immediate goal was to destroy the crystals. He approached the one in this square now with a frown. It floated above the ground and vibrated. There was an ominous light coming from it.

The closer he went, the more clearly he could hear the screams from inside—the sound of the pain and horror of the resentful souls in this city. Yuto bit his lip angrily. It wasn't only the negative ether that had been polluted by the pain of the spirits. The crystal also imprisoned the souls of the citizens of Velkyne themselves, those who had died on the night of the great disaster.

"How dare they?" he spat. He willed his Void Hands to move. They closed tightly around the crystal. As they slowly applied more force, cracks appeared along the surface. Soon, it shattered completely, and purple ether flashed and scattered. Yuto caught glimpses of dozens of spirits who had been sealed inside. They whispered to him now.

"Ah..."

"Thank you... Thank you so much..." Yuto did not look any happier. He had hoped that destroying the crystals would be enough to help the spirits find peace. But now that they had left the crystal, they simply slid into the purple fog that filled the city. Wait, don't tell me I have this all wrong, Yuto thought. The black mages' crystals were not the real reason that the citizens who had died in the great disaster still lingered here.

These resentful spirits had gathered here first, then the black mages had come, not the other way around. That accursed incident... he thought. The disaster that had destroyed Velkyne, and the spirits' inability to find rest even after death, were both the fault of the Constellations. For as long as they were around, every being who lived in this world would be nothing more than toys. Yuto gritted his teeth and turned away. The world he had occupied in his previous life was no different.

The Constellations were, as they'd always been, evil.

"Next," Yuto said. He felt so much pain and rage that his heart was ready to break, but he had no time to be emotional. The dove was already flying toward the next location.