Chapter 153 - <10>
The leisurely ox-cart journey ended after about two hours. They passed through some rather steep uphill slopes and rocky areas, but not only did the Lucina siblings, who were bad at waking up, not stir, but neither did Ritz, who had likely gotten almost no sleep last night. In fact, Ritz was snoring and leaning against Edward, being a complete nuisance.
Edward was not small, and his body was well-trained, but being crushed by a giant like Ritz in a carriage that wasn't particularly spacious was exasperating. He would occasionally push him back in frustration, but he would immediately roll back over. Since he was usually a light sleeper, being this deeply asleep was, conversely, a real handful.
Seeing Edward's plight, Anna offered to switch places, but he declined with a smile. If Ritz were to wake up and find himself sleeping on Anna's lap, he would probably panic. After all, the cause of his lack of sleep and hangover was apparently something he had done to Anna.
When they arrived at the Fire Clan's settlement, Marguerite nimbly hopped down. Anna, having woken Constanze, followed her. In Anna's hand was the lamp containing the Salamander, Sara-chan. To Edward, who couldn't see spirits, it was just a mysterious lamp that stayed lit without needing fuel. If it weren't for the occasional high-pitched, baby-like squeaks it made in response to Anna, he would truly forget the small spirit's existence.
"Ritz, we're here."
He shook him, but Ritz showed no reaction, just kept sleeping with his mouth wide open next to him. With a sigh of exasperation, Edward roughly slapped him on the head.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"I said we're here."
He said this calmly with his arms crossed, and Ritz seemed to wake up in an instant, scratching his head and looking around.
"Sorry, looks like I fell asleep."
"Yeah. And you were snoring."
"…Seriously?"
Leaving the wide-eyed Ritz to look around, Edward went to wake up Franz. Franz, who had fallen asleep as soon as he got in the ox-cart, must have had a satisfying rest. Franz, who was even worse at waking up than Ritz, showed no sign of stirring even when shaken. In the end, Edward had to drop a fist on his head, just like with Ritz.
"Ow… What are you doing…"
"I was waking you, is there a problem?"
"…Your Majesty!"
Realizing it wasn't Anna or Ritz waking him as usual, Franz shot up in a panic. Even though they had been traveling together for quite some time, Franz still seemed to get nervous around Edward.
"What are you dawdling for!"
Called out loudly by Marguerite, they got out of the ox-cart to find a large crowd gathered, with Gemma and Ordo at the center. Ritz muttered quietly behind the slowly walking Edward.
"Quite the welcome…"
Nodding slightly, Edward surveyed the area. The plaza, surrounded by rugged mountain faces, was filled with a sense of pressure for those unaccustomed to it. Except for the entrance the ox-cart had come through, it was almost completely enclosed by towering rock walls.
In those rock walls were passages carved out of the rock and numerous holes. The holes varied in size, but it was clear they were man-made. Laundry could occasionally be seen fluttering in them, and vegetables were hung to dry, indicating that the holes were dwellings.
The Fire Clan lived at the foot of their sacred mountain, in dwellings carved out of such rock faces. Looking around, he could see that the towering rock walls on all four sides were riddled with layers of passages and holes, and some of the dwellings would be equivalent to four or five stories high if they were stone houses.
Shifting his gaze from their unique dwellings to the people gathered in the plaza, he observed them while maintaining a nonchalant expression, and understood the demographics of this race.
The majority were men. Two-thirds of the people here were the stocky, short men characteristic of the Fire Clan.
The remaining third were women. Most of those women were the tall Flame Warriors, clad in armor made of Ougin, and the very small number of remaining women were small, slender, and wore simple, plain one-piece dresses.
Behind Gemma and Ordo stood nine men, dressed differently from the others. These must be the Ten Priests. In front of them were several women, all Flame Warriors.
"Welcome to our land, Roshozu."
Naturally, it was Gemma who stepped forward. From this, it was clear that the one with the most power was not the Ten Priests, but the Chief of the Flame Warriors.
"We of the Fire Clan welcome the beloved Hero King Edward of Yuresla, and the Clan of Light, one of the first races created by the goddess, just as we were."
Edward smiled at the grandiloquent opening. It seemed that here too, Edward had been mistaken for the central figure of this journey. In reality, they, with their mysterious orbs, were the main characters of the journey, and he was nothing more than a supporting role.
But it was not desirable to speak up and confuse the situation. Next to him, Ritz, who had abandoned his identity as a member of the Clan of Light, had a sour expression on his face, but Edward, who was well-accustomed to playing the role of a king, met Gemma's gaze with a calm look and returned a gentle smile.
Then, taking Gemma's outstretched hand, he replied with the words he had grown used to using as king.
"I am deeply grateful for the consideration of the Fire Clan, who have welcomed us despite this being a personal journey of exploration."
As they shook hands firmly, a round of applause erupted. Formalities followed you wherever you went, he thought, amused. So that's why Ritz had so readily thrown away his ministerial post, he now deeply understood.
"Hero King, these are the ones who lead the Fire Clan. The vice-chiefs and coordinating section chiefs who command the Flame Warriors. And the Ten Priests who govern the entire clan. They primarily watch over and worship the mountain of fire that the Fire Spirit King bestowed upon us. The one who manages the legends concerning the jewel you wish to know about is my husband, Ordo, who currently serves as the Chief of the Ten Priests."
At Gemma's words, the silent Ordo bowed his head.
"Lord Ordo, I apologize for the trouble."
"It is no trouble. Those who possess the jewel are considered messengers from the goddess."
"…A messenger of the goddess…"
So that was why they had been so readily guided to the settlement of Roshozu. He had wondered why a race so wary and unwilling to accept outsiders had so easily welcomed them, but if that was the case, it made sense. As Edward nodded deeply, Gemma whispered in a low voice.
"And another thing, it is currently the time of the twice-yearly circus and bazaar, and the entire settlement is in a festive mood. I apologize for the noise, but please be aware of that."
"Don't mind us. I don't dislike a lively atmosphere. In fact, there's one among us who can't stand formality. Isn't that right, Ritz?"
"…Sorry for not being able to stand formality."
He shrugged at the pouting Ritz, and Gemma looked at Ritz with a complicated expression. It seemed that even she, a member of the grudge-free Fire Clan, was holding considerable anger toward Ritz.
"Then everyone, this way, please."
Ordo spoke briefly and pointed. Looking in that direction, he could see a passage leading inside from a crack in the mountainside. It seemed to be a cave. Along with Ordo, the Ten Priests proceeded into the cave. Looking at Gemma, he saw that she was commanding the people with her clear voice.
"Let us continue the preparations for today's festival. The coal and Crimson Fire Stones are ready, yes?"
While giving instructions, Gemma also began to move, heading in the opposite direction of the cave. It seemed that from here on, it would be just them and the Ten Priests. After taking a few steps, Marguerite stopped as if she had just remembered something.
"I'm going to help with the preparations too."
They stopped and turned at the cheerful Marguerite's words. Anna, who had been walking along silently, looking around with curiosity, and the anxious Constanze stopped at her words.
"Preparations?"
"Yep, preparations. I'm better suited for that."
"Are you leaving?"
At Anna's disappointed voice, Marguerite patted Anna's head with a huge smile.
"Festival preparations. It's a fun festival. You all go and do what you need to do before you enjoy the festival. The purpose of your journey is to learn about that jewel, right?"
"Yes."
"Then go and do that. I'll get things ready in the meantime."
"Yes! This will be fun, right, Constanze?"
"…Yes, well."
"Come on, let's go."
"Yes."
In contrast to the energetic Anna, Constanze seemed somewhat uncomfortable. Perhaps she didn't know about the jewel, or maybe Anna hadn't explained the reason for their journey in detail. The person Constanze was cautiously glancing at was Franz, who was even more expressionless than usual, making it impossible to know what he was thinking.
Perhaps noticing his sister's gaze, Franz averted his eyes and fixed his vacant blue pupils straight ahead. Noticing that blatant rejection, Constanze's head drooped slightly.
Since that time he heard Constanze's song, Franz had remained sullen. He still wouldn't tell them what meaning the tears he had shed held.
Glancing over, he saw that Ritz was also looking at Franz. It seemed Ritz was also concerned about Franz's behavior these past few days. But if he were to tell him to talk, Franz would likely retort that it was none of his business, so Ritz must find it difficult to start the conversation.
Ritz was the type to listen if the other person wanted to talk, but he wouldn't force it. That was how he had maintained superficial relationships with others. That was probably why he couldn't find the right opportunity.
In that case, Edward would have to be the one to ask. Doing that skillfully was the wisdom of age, and it was one of the reasons Edward had come along on this journey. But for now, moving forward was the priority.
"We're falling behind. Let's hurry."
At his prompting, everyone silently quickened their pace. The Ten Priests showed no interest in their situation, just silently looked ahead and continued on. The men of the Fire Clan were truly taciturn, never once turning around or speaking to them.
But they weren't rejecting them; when they came to a fork in the cave, they would silently turn and wait for them so they wouldn't get lost.
The inside of the cave was quite dim, with candles placed in alcoves in the wall every few dozen meters, which the Ten Priests ahead of them lit with the large candles they carried. But unlike them, Edward and the others couldn't see well in the dark, and the cave was still too dim.
They were able to proceed without tripping thanks to the Salamander, Sara-chan, that Anna had brought, but none of the Ten Priests seemed to notice their difficulty. Since they could all see in the dark, they had probably never considered that others couldn't.
At first, they had followed them in silence through the dim cave, but perhaps losing patience, Anna spoke up.
"This is a long cave, isn't it?"
As usual, it was Ritz who answered.
"The cave in Red Valley was longer."
"Was it that long?"
"Yeah. It was a maze, that place."
Anna and Ritz were incapable of being quiet for long, even when they were just walking on the road. A silent environment like this cave was probably unbearable for them.
But if one of them was missing, the idle chatter would decrease dramatically. Especially when Ritz was alone, he could walk on without opening his mouth at all.
"But it was really beautiful, wasn't it? I'm so jealous~
"It was beautiful. Right, Franz?"
As usual, the conversation turned to Franz. Franz, who had been walking with his head down, looked up in surprise at the sudden call of his name.
"What?"
"Lef's cave. It was beautiful, wasn't it?"
Ritz repeated cheerfully, smiling at Franz. The expressionless Franz gave a small nod.
"It was beautiful."
"See? If even Franz says so, it must have been something."
"Really? What was it like?"
Normally, the conversation would return to just Anna and Ritz, but this time, even Anna directed the question at Franz. It seemed they both wanted to help Franz recover. But Franz just sighed softly. He was going to fall silent again, he thought, but an unexpected voice spoke up.
"I want to hear too, Brother. The sights you've seen since leaving home, the things you've felt, I want to hear it all."
Unlike the light tone of Anna and Ritz, Constanze's tone was serious. Franz looked back at Constanze with a bewildered expression, then tried to look down again. But Anna didn't allow it.
"Tell her, Franz."
Her tone was gentle and admonishing, like that of an older sister, but Franz didn't nod.
"If you keep quiet like a little kid who's been scolded, no one will ever understand how you feel."
It was likely the kind of phrasing Anna unconsciously used when scolding the children at the orphanage. But it must have rubbed Franz the wrong way, and his blue eyes sharpened with anger.
"Don't act like you're older than me. I'm not a child from the orphanage. I have no reason to be taken care of by you."
At his sharp, dismissive words, Anna didn't flinch or falter, but met his gaze directly.
"I'm not acting older, and I'm not taking care of you."
"Then don't meddle. This is my problem, and mine alone."
"Is it really just your problem, Franz?"
At Anna's calm words, Franz was momentarily at a loss for words. Anna didn't know why or what had caused Franz to become like this. But from the fact that he would never look at Constanze, she seemed to have guessed that Constanze was the cause.
"Sometimes you can't solve things by worrying alone. We're comrades, so if you'd just talk to us a little…"
Franz glared at the gently admonishing Anna.
"Comrade or not, don't just step into someone else's territory without permission."
"Franz."
"Unlike Ritz, I don't appreciate being intruded upon. You should just take care of Ritz. My problems are my own. I don't want the meddlesome Anna getting involved for her own amusement."
"It's not for my amusement!"
"It is. You always stick your nose in everywhere and stir things up, but when you can't fix it, you just abandon it, don't you? You're satisfied with that, right? Don't get involved with me."
Franz spat the words out coldly. For a moment, Anna froze. She must have been shocked to be treated like an outsider by a comrade. From behind the frozen Anna, Ritz's face appeared.
"Hey, now, I just heard something I can't let slide. Was I imagining things?"
His tone was exasperated as he pressed a hand to his forehead, but from their long association, he could read the anger in his words. Not only Franz, but Anna too, probably couldn't understand the anger contained in Ritz's words.
"I'm certainly being taken care of by Anna. Of course I am, 'cause I don't think of Anna as an outsider. But hey, I thought of Ed and you as comrades, Franz."
At Ritz's words, Franz turned his face away. Ritz probably knew that he had just blurted it out emotionally and didn't really mean it. But Ritz continued, his eyes fixed on Franz.
"But, Franz, if you really meant what you just said,"
Ritz paused, then slowly lowered the hand he had pressed to his forehead. His smile made Franz, Anna, and Constanze freeze.
"I'll have to treat you accordingly. You're okay with that, right?"
"Ritz, stop it."
Edward chuckled and grabbed Ritz's shoulder. This kind of threat would only make Franz withdraw. And he squeezed his hand with a strength that Franz and the others wouldn't understand. Ritz's hand came up and lightly tapped the back of Edward's hand. It seemed he was doing it on purpose.
After a moment, Ritz's angry expression softened. Anna let out a relieved sigh, and Franz bit his lip.
"Franz, I get being aggressive when you're trying to hide your own wounds, but choose your opponent. Some people get really hurt by words chosen to hurt them. But you know, no one gets healed by hurting someone else."
As Franz stood there with his head down, silently biting his lip, Ritz roughly ruffled his hair. Uncharacteristically, Franz didn't push him away, but let him do it.
"If you want to spit out poison or whatever, do it to me or Ed. We're used to that kind of thing."
Then, Ritz turned his gaze to Anna.
"Anna, let's go."
"Huh?"
"Ordo and the others have already gone on ahead. Let's hurry."
"Okay…"
Ritz gently put an arm around the shoulder of Anna, who still seemed concerned about Franz, and prompted her forward, then started walking. Ritz understood well that Anna had been hurt.
"Well, shall we go too? We shouldn't dawdle here."
Edward placed a hand on the shoulder of Franz, who was still standing there stunned. With a small shudder, Franz nodded and began to walk.
"Edward-san."
Constanze called out softly.
"What is it?"
"My brother isn't bad. I'm the bad one."
"Constanze?"
At her strained tone, he couldn't help but frown. But as if she didn't even see Edward's expression, Constanze's clenched hands were trembling.
"So my brother isn't bad. It's my fault for coming along."
Bewildered by her thin, helpless voice and words, so unlike the usual Constanze, Franz spoke up.
"That's not it."
"Brother?"
"That's not it. I'm sorry."
With only those words, Franz kept his head down and quickened his pace to follow Ritz and Anna. Constanze, left behind, stared blankly at Franz's back.
"It's alright. It seems it will take a little more time, so could you wait for him?"
He spoke to her gently, then patted her shoulder, and Constanze gave a small nod. Then, at Edward's prompting, she began to walk. As the figures of the three ahead of them came into view, Constanze muttered to herself.
"Even though we're related by blood, I feel like I'm the furthest away."
Edward said nothing in response. It was better for the two parties involved to talk it out than for an outsider to speculate.
In a somewhat awkward silence, they continued on for several dozen minutes and arrived at their destination. It was a dead end in the cave, a high-ceilinged, dome-shaped space, but it was too dim to see well. But the front seemed to be some kind of altar.
The Ten Priests who had been walking ahead approached the center of the dead end, and with the large candles they held, they lit a platform in the center of the altar. From there, it seemed oil had been laid, and the flame spread out in all directions, following thin lines. Then, all the pedestals that had been set up were lit at once.
In an instant, the space became dazzlingly bright. Squinting his eyes, which were accustomed to the dimness, he saw a magnificent altar appear before him.
"Wow…"
"This is incredible."
Anna and Ritz, who had been ahead, exclaimed in unison. Franz, right behind them, also widened his eyes and stared at the altar.
There, a structure like the interior of an ancient temple had been carved out of the rock. This had probably been a natural plaza within the cave. The Fire Clan had spent a long time carving the rock walls of that plaza to create such a magnificent temple.
The high, dome-shaped ceiling had been worked into a beautiful, arched vault, and was adorned with numerous colored openwork carvings, as well as fine filigree of Ougin, which they had mined and processed, and jewels. The jewels showed many different expressions in the flickering light.
The altar at the front was a stepped structure centered around what appeared to be statues of a goddess and the Fire Spirit King, and an elegant structure reminiscent of a royal palace balcony was carved into the rock face. Flanked by the two statues was a massive Ougin door, also made with wonderfully delicate workmanship.
"This way."
Ordo, the Ten Priest, stood before the door and looked at Edward. He must be telling him to follow. He glanced at Ritz, the central figure who held the jewel, and Ritz nodded the moment their eyes met, then came over with his arms around Anna and Franz's shoulders. Edward also prompted Constanze and approached the door.
"Beyond here is the sacred ground of our Fire Clan. Please be careful."
With only those words from Ordo, the Chief of the Ten Priests, several of the other Ten Priests pushed open the massive Ougin door. From the tiny gap they pulled open, a wave of hot air flowed out. Along with the heat, a glowing red light spilled out from beyond the door.
"It's hot. Like a fireplace."
Anna muttered dazedly. But no one could answer her. Everyone was speechless at the sight that spread out beyond the door. As the door opened wider, the hot air and scorching red light filled the temple interior.
After the door was fully open, the Ten Priests stepped back behind Ordo, and Ordo pointed with one hand to the other world that spread out beyond the door.
There, a sea of scorching heat, glowing bright red and gently waving, stretched out.
"This is our holy land."
Even on the face of the taciturn and expressionless Ordo, a proud expression appeared.
"Lava…"
He couldn't help but mutter, and Ritz, who was next to him, gave a small nod.
"This is an unbelievable heat."
"Indeed."
"You're not going to tell us to go in there, are you?"
Just as Ritz said this in a hushed voice, Ordo pointed beyond the door.
"The jewel is beyond here. Please."
As they all stood speechless, the Ten Priests disappeared beyond the door as if they hadn't considered that they might not follow. They were completely unfazed by the heat. When the last of the Ten Priests had disappeared, Edward made up his mind and turned to face everyone.
"…Let's go."
With a sigh, Ritz shrugged.
"Guess we have no choice."
Franz gave a small nod with a stiff expression, and Constanze's face also tensed with nervousness. Anna, who had been somewhat quiet since earlier, nodded with great interest as she stared at the lava ahead. Edward let out a small sigh and stepped into the space filled with lava.
The sea of lava flowed at a terrifyingly slow and constant pace in one direction through a giant, gaping space. The flow disappeared back into darkness. A narrow path continued around the space, and the Ten Priests were proceeding along it silently, with a solemn atmosphere.
Edward walked along the path with slow steps, mindful of his companions following behind. With a rock wall on one side and lava on the other, sweat trickled down in the extreme conditions. More than tension, it was just hot. He occasionally wiped his sweat, concerned for those falling behind. He had never thought he would be doing something like this at his age.
Franz, who was not very athletic and had a fear of heights, followed right behind Edward with extreme caution. Next was Constanze, then Anna, and Ritz brought up the rear.
Eventually, when they had grown accustomed to the dangerous situation, the Ten Priests crossed a stone bridge over the lava, stopped in a plaza-like area, and turned to wait for them. In the center of the Ten Priests stood a stone monument about a meter high.
The glowing jewel in its center was the same as the one that shone in the center of the royal crown of the Yuresla Kingdom, and the same as the ones Ritz and the others carried.
When all the companions finally reached the plaza, Ritz and Franz noticed the monument and their eyes widened.
"Franz, you recognize that, right?"
"…I do. It's the same."
"I'm surprised…"
From their muttering, he understood that the two of them had seen something identical to this monument before. Since they had only visited the settlement of the Clan of the Earth, still known as beastmen, and the Clan of Light, called spirit folk, and they hadn't even been able to get close to the holy land of the Clan of Light, it was obvious where they had seen it: Red Valley, the land of the beastmen.
"This is the jewel we possess."
In the heat that threatened to consume them, Ordo spoke without flinching and respectfully indicated the monument.
"Please, take a look."
After speaking in a polite tone, the Ten Priests fell silent. They stared straight at them without wavering, and though slightly intimidated, Franz, gently pushed from behind by Ritz, approached the monument. Since he was on a journey based on clues left by his master, a person named Artis Ozmand, Franz was technically the central figure in the quest to solve the mystery of the jewel, but he himself was unaware of it. Franz knelt before the monument and slowly traced the characters carved on it with his finger as he read them aloud.
"'O proud guardian of the flame, who visits this holy land. Stand before me, and show me your valiant form. I am the guardian of the spirits, and I shall grant you the blessing of flame…'"
"'Stand before me, and show me your valiant form,' huh?"
Ritz, standing in front of Edward, muttered with a groan.
"Ordo, by any chance, is this jewel called an 'Eye'?"
At Ritz's blunt question, Ordo nodded quietly, his expression unchanged, neither offended nor altered.
"Indeed. It is called the Eye of the Fire Spirit King."
"I knew it…"
Anna, who had been standing next to the pensive Ritz, tilted her head in confusion.
"It's strange. The Earth Spirit King, the Light Spirit King, the Fire Spirit King… they're all on the other side of this jewel, watching this world as if it were normal. I always thought the Spirit Kings were in a very distant, faraway land with the Goddess."
It was not one of his companions, but Ordo who answered Anna's muttered question.
"The Spirit King led us down to the surface, and after seeing to our stability, returned to the faraway land. But the Spirit King vowed to us that they would one day return."
"The Spirit King… will return?"
Anna's eyes widened at Ordo's words. Franz, who had been copying the characters on the monument, also turned around. The two young spirit users had probably never heard of such a legend. Of course, Edward, who was not a spirit user and did not have a devout faith in spirits, had never heard such a story either.
"The Fire Spirit King, who watches over us through the Eye, is said to surely return to us when we are lost. Until then, the jewel is the Eye and the signpost entrusted to us by the Spirit King."
Anna and Franz's gazes turned to Ritz. Ritz silently shook his head. They had wanted to ask Ritz, who had traveled for many years, if such a legend existed. The two then turned their eyes to him, but Edward could only shake his head.
"You possess the jewel because you are lost. The Eye will eventually become a signpost to the Spirit King. With that in mind, we have guided you, who possess the same Eye as the Spirit King, to this holy land."
Ordo said this and stared directly into Franz's eyes. Franz silently took out his jewel and approached the monument. Ritz and Anna also quietly took out their jewels and placed them in their palms.
As Franz gently brought the jewel in his hand closer to the one set in the monument, the jewel momentarily emitted a dazzling light. In response, the jewels in Anna and Ritz's hands also began to shine.
"…It reacted."
At Franz's dazed mutter, Ritz sighed softly.
"Your master, who's involved with a jewel from the age of myths, who on earth is he?"
"I'm searching because I don't know."
Franz put away the jewel with a sigh. Anna, who had been staring intently at her jewel, also put it away as if she had just remembered.
"Then, are my parents also involved with a jewel from the age of myths…?"
"…I wonder."
Ritz groaned with his arms crossed. Indeed, thinking about it that way, it would be amazing if it were a coincidence. Ritz had not obtained this jewel within the Yuresla Kingdom. But Franz and Anna's jewels were from within the same Yuresla Kingdom, and what's more, from around Ciedena in the northeast, Ritz's homeland. It was natural to think there was some kind of connection.
But there was nothing in common between the two of them. If there was anything, it was that Ritz's father, Karl, was a common acquaintance of Anna's adoptive father, Anton, and Franz's master, Orphe, also known as Artis. But he couldn't imagine Karl being involved with this jewel.
"There is a continuation to the legend of the jewel. Will you hear it?"
Ordo spoke quietly, as if he hadn't been listening to their exchange.
"Please."
At Ritz's immediate reply, Ordo nodded and began to speak.
"O proud guardian of the flame, who visits this holy land."
The Ten Priests, who had been watching silently until now, raised their eyes and began to weave the legend together with Ordo. Their perfectly synchronized chant echoed through the scorching space dominated by the hot lava.
"Stand before me, and show me your valiant form.
I am the guardian of the spirits, and I shall grant you the blessing of flame.
I am in the unmoving land that continues from the hot place where flame is born,
And I shall bestow upon that clan the eternal grace of flame.
When you are lost, offer your prayers to my Eye.
I shall rise up with the proud guardians."
Eventually, the chanting of the Ten Priests ended, and the space regained its quiet. In the silence, the lava occasionally popped and crackled.
"'I am in the unmoving land that continues from the hot place where flame is born, and I shall bestow upon that clan the eternal grace of flame…'"
Based on the hint left by Artis, Franz recited the part that seemed to be related to the location. In response, Anna muttered.
"'The height that leads from earth to heaven, the distant height looked up upon from the holy land, the unmoving land that continues from the hot place where flame is born.' Mmm, they all seem to point to the same place, but also different…"
"…Aren't they all pointing to a mountain?"
Ritz said, as if the thought had just struck him.
"The only thing that towers high in the sky from anywhere is a mountain, right?"
Anna looked up at the confident, puff-chested Ritz, deep in thought.
"Mmm, that's true, but which mountain?"
"Well, as for that…"
"There are lots of high mountains, you know?"
"But if it's a mountain that can be seen from all the demi-human villages, wouldn't that narrow it down?"
"Yeah. For now… we can see the Central Mountain Range, right?"
"We can…"
A massive mountain range stretched across the central part of the Eneonea Continent. This great range, which also extended into the Yuresla Kingdom, existed to the north of Ciedena. Even on a clear, sunny day, the mountains that linked together were so huge that you couldn't see their peaks, and no one knew the true form of this range.
Because of this mountain range, the north and south of the continent were completely divided, and to get from the north to the south, one had no choice but to travel around the countries in order, just as Edward and his companions were doing now.
However, the country that became closer to the Yuresla Kingdom by crossing this great range was the country where the Clan of Darkness lived, which could hardly be called an advantage. That was why no one had ever thought of using a route that crossed this great range.
"Since we can't climb the huge mountain range, I guess we have no choice but to do the homework Orphe-san gave us."
"You're right."
As the two of them were slightly disappointed that their idea was useless, the Ten Priests stood up. They silently formed a single file and began to head back the way they came. Ordo, at the rear, turned around.
"This is the way back. Please."
At his tone, which left no room for argument, they had no choice but to silently follow. Just as when they arrived, the Ten Priests proceeded slowly along the path in silence.
Like the taciturn Ten Priests, their companions were also mostly silent. Anna, who had just had a run-in with Franz, didn't seem to be in the mood for cheerful chatter, and Franz even less so.
They walked on in silence, and by the time they left the cave, the afternoon light was still full. Edward had thought of trying to talk to Franz a little, but the scorching lava had drained everyone's energy more than he had expected. Perhaps seeing their condition, Ordo guided them to a room.
Marguerite had originally planned to stay the night, so rooms had been prepared for them as well. It was a second-floor stone room facing the plaza, spacious enough for the five of them to stay without being cramped. The walls were carved with warm patterns, and it seemed cozy. A carpet made of yak hide was laid out, and five soft blankets were neatly prepared.
Stepping outside the doorless entrance, he could see the plaza clearly over the low railing of the terrace-like corridor. Anna and Ritz, intrigued, were sitting on the low edge, looking at the plaza. Constanze was with them, a bored look on her face. Franz seemed to be exhausted and had lain down as soon as they arrived in the room.
At first, Edward thought it was just a lack of stamina, but when he sat down, he realized he was more exhausted than usual. The heat from the lava had gotten to him. It seemed he couldn't fight his advancing years. He called out to the two who were still awake, then lay down on the yak hide rug and, uncharacteristically, fell asleep.
When he next awoke, the sun had already set, and cheerful music was drifting in from the plaza. Looking around, he saw that all their luggage and weapons were there, but Ritz, Anna, and Constanze were gone, leaving him and Franz behind.
Turning his gaze to the lively scene outside the window, he saw that the festival was already in full swing.
In the center of the plaza, which had been empty until just a while ago, stood a stone altar built with overwhelming presence, and on it, a huge pillar of fire burned bright red, as if to scorch the heavens. Surrounding it were the people of the Fire Clan. They swayed their bodies as they pleased, men and women, young and old, all surrendering themselves to the intense music.
The music was played by a dozen or so men. Not a single woman was among them. It was a powerful music that seemed to fill one with energy just by listening.
The majority of the percussion instruments, which beat out a fierce rhythm, were struck as if to tell the story of the inner intensity hidden by the taciturn men. In time with them, men holding string instruments as large as a man could embrace, strummed with passion.
Its hot, pulsating melody was completely unfamiliar in Yuresla, but it was filled with the pleasantness of a life's heartbeat, as if it resonated deep within the soul.
Laughing and chattering to the passionate music of the men, the Flame Warriors danced a passionate dance around the fire, throwing the red stones they held into the flames. The flames would then pop and explode, sending sparks high into the air. Each time, a cheer would rise from the people.
It was like a volcanic eruption, which they were said to worship.
Among them was Ritz. Since the men of the Fire Clan were all short, the tall Ritz stood out. The sight of him dancing with several Flame Warriors, shirtless from the heat, was the same playboy as of old, but it was amusing how his gaze would always return to Anna, no matter where he looked.
Oblivious to Ritz's heated gaze, Anna was holding hands with Constanze, a huge smile on her face as they danced a nonsensical dance. Marguerite found this amusing and was laughing with her mouth wide open.
Marguerite also held a red stone in her hand, and when she threw it into the fire, a fierce shower of sparks rose from within the pillar of fire. That stone seemed to react with the flames and cause a violent explosion.
Eventually, he saw Ritz extend a hand toward Anna, as if swimming through the crowd. But unfortunately, his hand was caught by Marguerite. Paying no mind to the openly disappointed Ritz, the plump Marguerite forcibly pulled him into the dance.
At first, Ritz resisted, but then, perhaps in desperation or resignation, he began to dance with Marguerite, injecting plenty of humor into his moves. Marguerite cheerfully danced along.
The dance of the tall Ritz and the stout Marguerite was less a dance and more like watching the acrobatics of cheerful clowns. This time, Anna was watching them, laughing. Constanze, perhaps influenced by her, also had a faint smile on her face. Unlike her brother Franz, she couldn't completely maintain a blank expression. An innocent face was always peeking through.
"It's lively, isn't it…"
He answered the voice from behind without turning around.
"Indeed. Did you finally wake up?"
"Yes."
With a listless gait, Franz came to stand beside Edward.
"Shall we go down as well?"
"…No. This is fine."
"I see. Then shall we at least step outside the room?"
"Yes."
He stepped out of the entrance and sat down on the rock face that served as a corridor, and the huge pillar of fire came into view before him. The view from here was also magnificent. Wondering if they needed light, he glanced into the room they had just left and saw an empty lamp.
Sara-chan was gone. Anna must have taken her along for the festival. Perhaps she was inside the pillar of fire.
He shifted his gaze to the profile of Franz, who was staring intently at the blazing light of the fire before him, and then back to the plaza. The heat of the people and the fierce rhythm swirled.
Then, his eyes met Ritz's, who was dancing there. With a look of relief, Ritz looked up at him, then pointed in his direction to Marguerite, said something to Anna, and left them.
A short while later, Ritz appeared on the second-floor corridor.
"Man, what a pain."
Ritz, with a huge grin on his face, sat down next to the two who were sitting in silence. Despite being shirtless, he was sweating.
"The story that I beat Gemma got around, and now I'm being treated like a hero. I don't know how many people I danced with. You showing up was a lifesaver. It gave me an excuse to come back."
At the cheerfully speaking Ritz, he couldn't help but smile as he asked.
"You don't seem to be able to dance with your intended partner, though?"
"…Leave me alone."
His mood shifting from cheerful to suddenly sullen, Ritz hunched over and rested his cheek on his hand.
"A passionate dance like this is still too soon for her."
"Suddenly playing the guardian, what a sore loser."
"Shut up."
Pouting like a child, Ritz fell silent.
The wind that blew, in contrast to the hot fervor of the festival, was growing colder. It was a rocky region, so the temperature difference must be drastic in any season. After watching the occasionally fiercely burning pillar of fire for a while, Franz suddenly let out a small sigh.
"There's something I need you to hear."
His voice was small and his tone was stiff, but the resolve in his heart came through. Ritz, though he must have heard, said nothing and continued to gaze at the pillar of fire. Similarly, Edward said nothing and watched Franz.
In the quiet, where the sound of the popping fire and the lively music seemed distant, Franz lifted his face and spoke again, this time clearly.
"I need you to hear me out."
Ritz took a red stone from his pocket and threw it into the flames. The stone flew in a beautiful arc, shone brightly in the pillar of fire, and burst apart. When its brilliance subsided, Ritz finally spoke.
"Is it okay if I'm here? If you want to talk to Ed, I'll leave."
Ritz was probably trying to be considerate. But Franz shook his head slightly.
"I was hesitating until now, but seeing Ritz and Your Majesty together, I've made up my mind to speak."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I don't know, but…"
To the puzzled Ritz, Franz, who didn't seem to know why himself, answered softly.
"Maybe, I want to be like you two."
That probably meant he wanted to be able to build a relationship of trust. Perhaps he was still regretting having thrown his long-held anxieties at Anna with the word "outsider" in the cave.
For such a Franz, the unwavering trust between Edward and Ritz might have been a source of a kind of admiration.
"Go on, talk."
Just quietly, Ritz prompted Franz. Franz, who had been staring at the pillar of fire with his blue eyes hidden by his long bangs, eventually turned those eyes to Edward and Ritz.
"Back when I still lived in the Lucina family's rear palace, living with Constanze…"
Franz, who had begun to speak as if with a groan, bit his lip painfully and fell silent for a while, unsure how to continue, before letting out the words with a sigh.
"I… Constanze Lucina… I tried to kill her."
The flame of the pillar of fire, which had burst and flared up particularly large, illuminated Franz's pale cheek.