Chapter 117 - <6>
Beneath a sky glittering with stars as if they were falling, a fire burned bright red. Around the fire, a wall of people formed a semicircle, ten, twenty deep, all sitting quietly, not a single murmur escaping them as they listened intently to a voice that rang clear in the night.
Other than the voice, the only sounds were the faint howl of what seemed to be a wolf echoing from deep within the forest, the low song of an owl, and the sound of the nearby river.
It was a nostalgic feeling, somehow, though it was her first time here; a feeling so poignant and dear, like a memory of home. To take it all in, Anna gently closed her eyes. The dry wind that rustled her bangs felt pleasant.
"With the beginning of the world, the spirits were born. Even now, in this very moment, in every single life you feel through your entire being, the spirits of all things are breathing."
The familiar, reassuring voice, speaking in a completely unfamiliar tone, melted and flowed into the darkness of the night. At first, this way of speaking had felt strange, reminding her of someone else, but now that she was used to it, it was very comfortable.
It was very similar to the sight of the villagers all gathered around the fire on the night of the village festival, listening to the voice of her adoptive father, Anton. What's more, even the content of the story was very similar.
If she told the speaker again that he was "like my adoptive father," would he be dejected and ask, "Do I look like a father with children?" To Anna, being compared to her adoptive father was the highest compliment.
"Close your eyes in the darkness of this night. You will feel it, the whisper of nature. Everything you feel with your heart, and with your body, is the breath of the spirits, and the source of life."
If he always spoke like this, instead of his usual dismissive way, it would be so calm and peaceful to be by his side. Anna opened her eyes and looked up at the owner of that pleasant voice.
There was Ritz, sitting calmly and composedly facing the villagers, dressed in a long, white robe.
As she stared at him, Ritz, perhaps noticing her gaze, turned slightly and gave her a soft, warm smile. This momentary smile was clearly meant only for her, which made her happy, but in an instant his eyes grew cold again as he turned back to the front.
His eyes were less calm and more simply still, like the surface of a windless lake. It was refreshing to think he was capable of such an expression, but at the same time, it was a little scary, as it seemed the same strange calm he had when he was on the verge of death before might reappear.
His long, pointed ears, slightly different in structure from a human's, peeked out from his long black hair, flickering faintly in the glow of the fire.
Clearly, the guests of honor, they were seated behind what looked like an altar, with brightly burning logs on either side of them. Ritz, Edward, and the chief, Adlif, sat in the center in front of the altar, with Lef behind Adlif and Franz behind Ritz. Naturally, Anna was sitting behind Edward.
"Let me speak of the fire spirit I command."
As he said that, Ritz raised his palm to shoulder height and slowly opened it. Franz, who was behind him, promptly made a ball of fire appear. It was a fairly large fireball, over thirty centimeters in diameter.
The flame flickered and swayed, burning brightly.
"Oh!"
"Amazing…"
"It's fire."
The people surrounding the bonfire began to murmur all at once. From what she had heard, a spirit user had never visited this village before.
"Everyone, be quiet. We can't hear him speak."
At Adlif's loud voice, the crowd fell silent.
"Please, continue."
Ritz gave a small nod to the urging and slowly turned back to the people who were staring at him with the pure eyes of children.
"Generally, fire is considered to bring destruction. But that is merely one aspect of the spirit."
Ritz said without flinching, even with the ball of fire so close. It was hard to believe he was the same person who had been complaining so much about it being "hot" during practice. Was he that resilient, or was it not actually that hot?
"For example, if this flame were to be released into a dry forest, it would cause great damage."
Looking at Franz, who was actually controlling the flame, she saw him trying hard to keep the flame in place with a serious expression. In contrast to Ritz, who had a cool face, beads of sweat were forming on Franz's forehead.
"However…"
Keeping his hand in the same position, he bent down and picked up one of the torches at his feet, then lit it with the flame. The fire from his palm transferred to the torch and disappeared.
"In this way, it can be of help to us."
As the flame left his control, Franz was panting heavily. He probably intended to catch his breath while Ritz was talking. But it wasn't over yet. There was still more to come.
The practice with Edward as a partner had yielded results in about half the time it took with Ritz. Edward, the complete opposite of Ritz, didn't complain about the pain or even move when he was burned. So Franz's failures were etched directly onto Edward's body.
Ritz, who had been watching Edward, had said with a slightly nostalgic tone, "That's a lot of pressure. Franz has it tough too." Perhaps he had some memory of a similar experience.
In contrast to the two who had become completely absorbed in their roles as spectators, Franz had seemed to be gradually driven into a corner.
Franz, who had been deprived of all his excuses like "don't move" or "it's not working because you're dodging" that he had used with Ritz, had unknowingly been made to bear all the responsibility for Edward's injuries.
Franz, who had been unable to perform well at first due to his nervousness, seemed to have gained his composure after dealing with Edward, who didn't even flinch or cry out despite being burned multiple times.
In a situation where he couldn't escape responsibility or run away, there was no choice but to concentrate and see it through.
Franz, who had been under extreme tension, seemed to have been completely drained the moment he was able to stop the fireball, and he fell sideways and went to sleep right there.
They had let Franz rest for a while before coming to this main event.
"The spirits are the power of nature. If a person sets fire to a forest, the forest will burn and everything will be lost. But if a forest is burned by a fire caused by nature, as you know, the forest will regenerate there again. Fire is destruction, but it is also the power of rebirth that creates new life. People admire and fear that power. But what is truly necessary is to revere it."
The beastmen all nodded in unison. Was it wrong for Anna, who was much smaller than them, to think they were as honest and cute as the children at the orphanage?
"Destruction is power, but to gain rebirth without fearing destruction is courage. That is why the fire spirit is called the spirit that governs power and courage."
Ritz declared in a fluid tone. Then he once again held out his palm and had Franz place a ball of fire on it. With a slow, affectionate expression, Ritz brought his face close to the flame. She was worried that if Franz accidentally moved, he would burn his face, but that didn't happen. Ritz turned his face back towards the beastfolk.
"People have used this flame in various forms. Especially in times of war, it is something sought after along with the words power and courage. But that also brings great tragedy."
Ritz said, his eyes narrowing sadly. The beastmen fell silent and watched Ritz. Eventually, Ritz spoke in a quiet voice.
"Therefore, people should not lightly seek the spirits that govern all things. They have been with this world since the Goddess created it, and they are the root of life that should be revered, having built the world together with the Goddess."
"Well said."
Edward muttered under his breath.
"Why do you say that?"
Since all the beastmen's attention was on Ritz, Anna asked Edward in a small voice.
"While explaining various things about the spirits, his conclusion is equivalent to saying, 'So don't ask us to show you the spirits anymore.'"
"Oh, right."
"Honestly, he's a silver-tongued man."
Anna agreed with the wryly smiling Edward. She could never talk her way around people like that.
Come to think of it, Anna was thoroughly convinced that Ritz had many surprising sides to him. She had never known this before, but despite being unable to see spirits and, of course, unable to handle them, Ritz was unusually knowledgeable about spirits and spirit users. There were many times when she, a true spirit user, found herself agreeing with what Ritz said.
Even though they had been traveling with spirit users like Anna, Ritz had never talked so much about spirits before. The only time was during the medicinal herb theft incident, when he had taught her that spirit users could share their spiritual power with each other.
Maybe Ritz was actually very knowledgeable.
With that understanding, she looked up at Ritz and saw that he was just about to begin his final showpiece. A showpiece was what Ritz had called it, but from Franz's perspective, it was apparently a 'troublesome finishing touch.'
Watching from behind, she could only see his back, but Ritz slowly raised his palm with the flame on it. The flame on his palm glowed a brilliant red against the backdrop of the night stars, and it was very mysterious and beautiful.
As she found herself captivated, she heard a small groan from next to her. Startled, she looked and saw Franz gritting his teeth. Despite the cool night breeze, sweat was forming on his forehead.
"That looks tough."
When she said it in a small voice, Franz glared at her silently. He probably wanted to say, "Don't talk to me, you'll break my concentration." It would be bad to disturb his focus any further, so she put her hands together in a small apology and looked back at Ritz. The flame Ritz was holding was now in the palm of both hands, held high above his head.
"My coming here this time must also be fate. Fate is, in other words, destiny. I thank all of you who have welcomed us so warmly, and I thank the Fire Spirit King, who governs power and courage, for granting us such a wonderful time."
Ritz said calmly, then he subtly stuck one leg out from his robe so that only those behind him could see, signaling to Franz. Franz, letting out a small breath, muttered under his breath.
"O fire spirit who governs power and courage. Lend me your power for a time…"
The flame on Ritz's palm smoothly left his hand and slowly rose into the sky. As if drawn by it, all the beastmen turned their attention to the flame. Not a single person was looking this way.
"Good."
Edward, who had confirmed the situation just like Anna, said to Franz in a low voice. Franz, giving a small, faint nod, created a small fireball in his palm. It was the source of the Flame Arrow technique that Franz often used recently. The plan was to throw it, turn it into a Flame Arrow, and pierce the launched fireball. Ritz looked back at Franz, away from the beastmen. Franz nodded silently.
When the flame rising into the dark sky had reached a certain height, Franz muttered quietly.
"Go, Flame Arrow."
The several red trails of flame released from his palm shot straight towards the fireball, and upon piercing it, they released a great flash of light and disappeared along with the fireball.
"Oh!"
"Amazing!"
"Wow, that's beautiful!"
When she raised her voice along with the beastmen, Franz, who was slumped over with both hands on the ground, turned his face towards her and groaned.
"It's easy for you to say…"
"Huh? It was really beautiful, though?"
"Then you do it, Anna."
"I can't. I can't use fire. If I did the same thing with water, everyone would get soaked, you know?"
Perhaps remembering the time Anna had made it rain heavily in the warehouse, Franz let out a small sigh and fell silent. He didn't even raise his face after that. It seemed he was exhausted. But Ritz, who had played the part of the spirit user, had a calm expression.
"No, no, thank you for sharing such a wonderful story with us, and for showing us the fire spirit."
Adlif said with such gratitude that he seemed on the verge of kneeling on the floor. Even to such an Adlif, Ritz maintained a very calm demeanor.
"You have provided for all our meals and lodging, so it is only natural."
"No, no, compared to welcoming a spirit user of the Clan of Light, such things are of little consequence."
"I thank you for that."
Ritz replied with a smile. The only emotion that could be read from it was one of genuine gratitude. When he changed so much like this, she sometimes wondered where the real Ritz was. There was no doubt that his usual self was the real Ritz, but she was a little worried.
"Wow… that was truly wonderful!"
As the beastfolk and the chief were still caught up in the excitement, Lef, the only one who was his usual self, spoke to him.
"Father, it's almost time."
"Oh, so it is."
Peeking at Edward's hand, who had secretly taken out his watch, she saw that it was already past nine o'clock. If she were in the Royal Capital, it would be about time to go to her bedroom and chat with Joe in bed.
"You must all be tired. Let's call it a night."
Adlif stood up with a smile. As if on cue, the villagers began to head home, some bowing to Ritz, some asking to shake his hand. Today's major event had come to an end here.
But there was still the ceremony to decide Lef as the next chief, so it wasn't completely over yet.
"Well then, I shall also…"
As Adlif rose to his feet, Edward stood up to casually match him and called out to him.
"Chief, may I have a moment?"
"What is it, Your Majesty?"
To the smiling Adlif who turned around, Edward smiled back with a soft, friendly gaze.
"I am researching the legends of the demi-human races. If you would be so kind, could you tell me about them?"
"Legends? Our legends?"
"Yes."
"But why?"
To the bewildered Adlif, Edward replied with a gentle demeanor.
"As king, though I have already retired from this body, I wish to watch over the future of my country for the rest of my life. To do that, I must know the people. And to know the people, I believe it is not enough to know only the human race."
"…I see. A deep thought indeed."
Edward lightly beckoned over Lef, who was standing behind the deeply impressed Adlif, and Ritz, who was still in the midst of his performance with a quiet smile, and smiled brightly.
"My friend Ritz also agreed with that thought. It was then that we met your son, Lef. Don't you think this is fate?"
Though he was smiling, Edward asked Adlif with a feeling that made it strangely difficult to refuse outright.
"Indeed, it may be fate."
It seemed Adlif was very convinced by Edward's words. As she admired how good both Ritz and Edward were at leading a conversation, Franz muttered under his breath.
"…The swindling of two of a kind."
"Huh? I think it's amazing, though?"
"It's amazing, but I wouldn't want to be caught in it."
"They're not doing anything wrong."
While the younger group was having this conversation, the matter seemed to be coming to a close. To Adlif's question of what kind of stories he wanted to hear, Edward was answering.
"I would like to hear the legends passed down in this land since the time of the Goddess."
In truth, the quickest way would be to show them the orb Anna and the others had and ask if they knew any legends related to it. But if they did that, they might be suspected of the orb's origin, so they had decided to keep it hidden, as Edward had told them beforehand.
"Ah, in that case, it is perfect. Please listen during the ceremony to decide Lef as the next chief. We do not have a written language, so our history is sung along with it."
A legend that is sung… That's wonderful. Anna wondered what kind of song it would be.
"Is it alright for us to participate? We are outsiders, after all."
"It is fine."
Adlif, who said so with a smile, smiled brightly.
"However, it will be some time before the ceremony."
"Some time… you say?"
"Yes. The moon is still out."
According to Adlif's explanation, the first stage of the ceremony would be held on the day after the moon disappeared from the completely dark night. The moon was quite thin now, but it would still take some time for it to disappear completely.
"On the morning of that day, the water level of the spring upstream of the river flowing through the settlement will drop. The entrance to a cave will appear there for that day only."
"Oh…"
"That cave is the most important sacred site of our beastman tribe. On that day, the one who enters it and brings back proof will be designated as the next chief."
A treasure hunt in a cave sounded exciting, but it didn't seem to have much to do with them. They weren't the ones who would become the next chief of the beastman tribe. But she could feel the conversation subtly turning towards them.
Naturally, the one it was directed at was not Anna or Edward.
"Lef, perhaps this is fate as well. Why don't you have Ritz-san accompany you into the cave?"
"…Huh?"
Just as Lef's eyes widened, Ritz himself looked surprised. But he didn't raise his voice; he asked as a spirit user of the Clan of Light.
"But won't it be a problem if someone like me is in such a place?"
"No, no. It is said that it is better to take someone you trust with you than to go alone."
"But wouldn't I be a bother?"
Ritz, who was still continuing his spirit user act, couldn't be forceful and pretended to be sorry for interfering with the ceremony. Indeed, in this situation, he couldn't just say, "Why do I have to go too?" But that backfired splendidly in a way that was almost comical.
"How could you possibly be a bother! On the contrary, to have a spirit user attend my son's ceremony is nothing short of fate!"
"Uh, um?"
"Father."
"Please, please! Come with us! The inside of the cave is very, very beautiful. I'm sure Ritz-san will like it too."
"That's all well and good, but Chief?"
"Listen to me, Father."
"Wow, what an honor. This is a great honor!"
"Father…"
"Don't show your unseemly side, Lef."
"Listen to me, Father."
"Chief… I mean."
The sight of the two tall men timidly addressing the even taller Adlif, who was clenching his fists and speaking with conviction, was somehow amusing. But if she laughed, Ritz would probably give her a resentful look later, so she tried her best to hold back her laughter.
Perhaps this was what it was like when Lef had returned to the village first and word of Ritz had gotten out. Adlif, ignoring Lef's attempts to stop him, must have rushed out and announced to the villagers, "A spirit user of the Clan of Light is coming!"
Thinking about it that way, it was rather endearing.
That must have been why Lef had looked so apologetic when he returned to Anna and the others.
Eventually, Ritz, realizing there was no way to dispel Adlif's conviction, put on a beaming smile and placed his hand on the shoulder of the utterly exhausted Franz. Unfazed by the bewildered Franz, Ritz gently led him by the shoulder before Adlif.
"Chief. If it is such a wonderful sight, I would like to show it to my apprentice as well. What do you say?"
"Wh…"
Franz's eyes widened at being told that, but it was already too late. The moment he said it to Adlif, it was decided that he was going.
"That would be most welcome! To have the spirit user's apprentice with us as well… Lef, how fortunate you are."
"W-wai… Ritz."
Franz protested in a small, stammering voice, but Ritz, with a smile that definitely had a hidden agenda, just smiled eerily at him.
"An opportunity like this doesn't come often, Franz. Aren't you lucky?"
Perhaps understanding from past experience that it was better not to resist at times like this, Franz gave a small nod while staring at Ritz.
"…I am honored."
It was written all over his face that he would definitely confront Ritz about this later. She was enjoying watching them, and then she suddenly realized. In the group going to the cave, she and Edward were not included.
Realizing this, she looked up at Edward, and he smiled back at her gently and nodded. He probably meant that he would listen later, so she should be quiet for now. The fun mood she had been in until now suddenly cooled, and she felt lonely.
But she knew that if she said, "I want to go to the cave too!" in front of Adlif, it would create a strange situation, so she stayed silent without saying anything.
"Then please, make yourselves comfortable for a week until the moon disappears. After Lef returns from the cave, we will decide on the date of the actual ceremony."
Apparently, the beastfolk were generally relaxed about time, and not everything was decided by formality. In other words, they were flexible.
"Well then, everyone, take care."
With that, Adlif left, and the utterly exhausted Franz and the thoroughly mentally drained Ritz returned to the lodgings they had been given. Anna trudged along with them.
Upon arriving at the hut, everyone sat down on the mats in the same place as yesterday without a word. Franz fell sideways right there. He must be really tired.
"You must be tired."
As he said that, Lef took a fragrant fish from a shelf built inside the stove. It still looked warm. Come to think of it, the only proper meal she'd had was in the morning; since then, they'd been too busy to eat, so she was quite hungry.
Ritz staggered up from his seat, peeling his body away from the floor. As he took off his robe and changed into his regular clothes, he muttered to himself as if in a monologue.
"Cave exploring, huh…"
As Ritz struggled to fold the robe properly, Anna took it from him and folded it neatly and efficiently. Robes were like the everyday clothes of clergymen and spirit users. Anna, whose adoptive father was a priest, was very used to handling them.
Next to her, Ritz carefully removed the wig and placed it on a high place so it wouldn't get tangled. Since it was borrowed without permission, he was probably being careful not to break it. Then he ran his fingers through his own hair, which had been flattened, in a troublesome manner, and let out a small sigh.
"What a pain, but it can't be helped."
In response to those words, Franz groaned while lying on his side.
"Why did you have to drag me into this mess?"
It was no longer a question, but a complaint. Franz was apparently very dissatisfied.
"Can't be helped."
"It can be helped. Explain yourself."
"Alright, alright."
Replying in a troublesome tone, Ritz sat down heavily in his spot again. It was more calming to see the usual crude and rough Ritz.
"If they asked me, 'The legends say there's some mechanism that only a spirit user can see. Did you find it?' I wouldn't be able to do anything about it, would I?"
"Then you could have taken Anna. Anna is more physically fit than I am."
"Well, Anna might be better suited for exploring."
Her name had come up unexpectedly, so this was a chance to make a request. Anna found herself raising her hand.
"Yes! I agree with that idea!"
"Huh?"
Ritz looked at the sudden Anna with a puzzled expression. Though he had said it himself, for some reason Franz also looked at Anna with a questioning expression. But not being able to stop there was her usual habit.
"I want to go to the cave!"
Oops, this was no different from a child throwing a tantrum. By the time she realized it, it was already too late.
"You…"
Ritz scratched his head, looking troubled. This face meant he was thoroughly exasperated.
"We're not going for fun, you know. It's a beastman tribe ceremony, so there might be some danger."
"I know that. But between me and Franz, wouldn't I be more agile?"
"That may be true, but…"
As Ritz muttered that under his breath, he looked at Edward. Following his gaze, she also looked at Edward, and he smiled at her.
"Anna. I imagine the villagers will all see you off on that day."
"Yes."
"At that time, don't you think it would be strange for you, my supposed attendant, to go into the cave with Ritz instead of Franz?"
"Ah…"
Come to think of it, that's right.
"The moment you were introduced to Adlif as my attendant, this was already decided."
"No way…"
In other words, this complaint was already too late because she hadn't said it when Ritz had decided on the roles.
"Ritz, did you know this would happen when you assigned the roles?"
Realizing that Anna had noticed it was too late, Ritz nodded.
"Yeah. Sorry about that."
"Why?"
"When Lef went to the village ahead of us and came back, he said they were going to have a ceremony to decide the next chief, right? That means there must be some kind of formality involved. So one possible option I considered was an expedition like this."
"So you made me Ed-san's attendant because I'm a girl and it seemed dangerous?"
"Yep. At least Franz is a man. If things get rough, I can train him."
"…I'd rather not have that kind of consideration."
Franz, who had already been on the verge of sinking, muttered under his breath.
It was a dead end, she knew that. She knew that, but she wondered if there was a good solution, so she stared at Edward, but he just shook his head slightly. It seemed there was nothing to be done.
"Um, is it not okay if I secretly follow you?"
She turned her whole body from Edward to Ritz and tried saying that, wondering if something could be done, but Ritz's answer was blunt.
"No."
"No way… That's no fun."
"Can't be helped. Give it up."
"But…"
She knew it was useless to be selfish, so Anna let out a small sigh.
"Oh well. I wanted to be by your side, Ritz."
"Wh…"
For some reason, Ritz was speechless. But Anna continued talking.
"I mean, I'm the one who asked you to pretend to be a spirit user. I said I'd help, too."
"Don't worry about it."
"But I haven't been useful at all since coming to this village."
When she said that and looked up at Ritz, he averted his gaze for a moment, then looked straight into her eyes again and said firmly.
"You've been plenty useful to me."
"Really?"
"Yeah. So stay here and look after Ed. If something happens to him, you help him out. After all, His Grace the Grand Duke is getting on in years."
Edward's hand, who had stood up at some point, was covering the mouth of the smiling Ritz.
"Oh… so this is the mouth that treats its friend like an old man?"
"Ow, let go!"
The two elders started a stupid fight. When this happened, Anna had no way of getting between them. It seemed she had been skillfully deceived by the two of them, and though she wasn't entirely convinced, she decided to accept it for now.
Besides, she didn't know what or how she was being useful, but there was no lie in the face of the Ritz who had declared it. She was probably being useful in some way she didn't know about.
"What should we do for dinner?"
At Lef's question, she remembered she was hungry again.
"I'm eating!"
"I'm eating too."
The first to raise their hands were herself and Ritz. Feeling a gaze, she turned to find the face of a thoroughly exasperated Franz. Being hungry was a sign of good health, so it couldn't be helped. She wished he wouldn't look so exasperated.
"What about you, Ed-san?"
As she stood up to go to Lef and asked, Edward nodded as he moved away from Ritz with a look of resignation.
"I shall have some as well."
"I'm… going to sleep."
After saying that, Franz completely wrapped himself up in a blanket that was there, head and all. Choosing sleep over food was a very Franz-like choice. After that, Franz seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, as he didn't move a muscle.
Ritz, who shrugged with a look of resignation, began to prepare the meal with Lef. Anna naturally joined in.
"Ritz."
While eating, Anna looked up at Ritz.
"Hm?"
"You promised to take me to a beautiful cave, didn't you?"
He had said there was a very beautiful cave in Lef's country. Had he forgotten that he had said that to her when she was captured underground? Ritz, who usually answered immediately, was a moment late in replying.
"There's no way I'd forget."
"It's a promise, okay?"
She knew Ritz was someone who kept his promises to her, so she said it a little selfishly. Ritz nodded naturally, as if it were a matter of course.
"Yeah. It's a promise."
This gentle side of him reminded her so much of her adoptive father, Anton, and it was very reassuring. After a while, Ritz smiled at her.
"So, I'm counting on you to watch the fort."
When he said that, there was only one thing Anna could do.
"Okay!"
When she replied cheerfully as usual, Ritz and Edward smiled, and Lef looked relieved. It seemed the good-natured Lef had also been worried about Anna's dejection. She felt a little sorry.
For now, she resolved in her heart to help properly with the preparations until the day of departure, and she popped the rest of the fish into her mouth.