Chapter 207 - <14>
Late at night, Franz, unusually, awoke. Though he was the type to sleep straight through till morning once he fell asleep, the salted vegetables Taisha had served as an appetizer at their feast had been incredibly salty, and he couldn't quench his thirst.
He couldn't wander around in the pitch dark, so he held up Sara's lamp and left his room. He passed through the living room, still a mess from their agreement to clean up tomorrow, and went down to the earthen-floored kitchen. The water jug there held water they had drawn yesterday afternoon.
Despite it being summer, the water hadn't grown lukewarm. He scooped a cupful from the jug and drank it down, then noticed that the door leading outside was wide open.
Casually, he looked out the door and saw Taisha in the moonlit garden. He had thought she would be fast asleep by now, but as he watched to see what she was doing, he realized she was carrying something.
Franz's poor eyesight couldn't make out what it was, but the drag marks leading from the kitchen told him. It was the sack containing their travel provisions and supplies.
A chill ran down his spine. Was she planning to abandon them and escape on her own? She hadn't been an ally after all. At this rate, she would take the flying ship and all their supplies.
The moment he was about to shout for Ritz and Edward, a hand clamped over his mouth. Thinking Taisha had an accomplice, he struggled, but the person who had covered his mouth spoke in a whisper.
"Calm down. Don't shout."
Still muffled, he looked up and saw it was Ritz. He nodded in understanding, and the hand finally moved away from his mouth, allowing him to take a deep breath.
"So she's made her move after all."
A voice came from behind Ritz. It was Edward. It seemed they had both been awake.
"Well, yeah. She didn't look too happy even though the flying ship was finished, right? I thought something was up."
"Then why didn't you confront her?"
He couldn't help but question Ritz in a whisper.
"She's taking our supplies!"
Despite stating the obvious, Ritz somehow just gave a wry smile.
"What are you laughing at?"
"I told you to calm down. She's moving supplies, sure, but Taisha isn't moving a single one of her own belongings."
"…Huh?"
"Not even that gem she treats so preciously. I don't think Taisha has any intention of leaving this place herself."
That was true. Rather than struggling to haul heavy food supplies, it would be more important to load treasured items onto the ship first. That's what Franz would do. Ritz and Anna might load the food first, but Taisha didn't seem like that type.
"Then, what's she doing it for…?"
"That's what I don't get."
In place of Ritz, who just shrugged, Edward looked at Franz quietly.
"The only thing we know for sure is that Taisha has started loading our supplies onto the flying ship on her own. The daily necessities that were in the carriage have already been loaded onto it as well."
"…Even that stuff?"
"Yes. After confirming we were asleep, she's been desperately moving the supplies by herself. She must have thought that using the horse would alert us."
Even thinking about why she would go to such lengths, he couldn't understand it. Before the three of them, watching from a distance, Taisha continued to carry their luggage into the flying ship.
"It would probably be fastest to just ask her what she's doing,"
Edward murmured.
"That's an unusual thing for you to say."
At Ritz's teasing tone, Edward gave a wry smile.
"It's just that there was a certain someone who would usually just go and ask in these situations."
"…Yeah, you're right."
Ritz's face fell slightly with a lonely smile, but noticing Franz was watching, he quickly brightened his tone and looked up.
"Well then, shall I go ask for her?"
"…That wouldn't be the best course of action."
"Thought so."
"Then what are we going to do?"
"The best we can do is to pack up the luggage in the room we're borrowing so we can leave at any time. And then take a nap until something happens."
Not understanding the meaning of Edward's words, Franz tilted his head, and Edward's lips curved into a smile.
"Taisha has no intention of harming us."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Because she is moving our supplies for us. There is no doubt she is preparing things so that we can handle a hasty departure."
"How can you be so carefree…"
"I am not being carefree. Besides, if Taisha were to leave here alone, she would have completed the flying ship and taken off long before we arrived. But Taisha did not do that. Which means she has no intention of leaving alone."
Confused by Edward's line of thinking, he looked at Ritz, who also nodded and stretched wide.
"Well, I'm gonna get some more sleep."
"Ritz."
"You should sleep too. The fact that she's making preparations in secret like this might mean that something's going to happen before we notice the luggage is gone."
"Got it."
He nodded reluctantly, returned to his room, packed his things, and lay down. Ritz, who had said he was going to get some more sleep, quickly packed his things, leaned against the wall, crossed his arms, and fell asleep sitting up. Ritz often slept like that on their journey.
Edward closed his eyes in a similar position. Though Franz thought it was amazing they could sleep in such a situation, he found himself dozing off before he knew it.
The next time he woke up, it was to the violent sound of something collapsing. The heavy, ground-shaking vibration jolted Franz awake. Ritz and Edward were already dashing out of the hut.
He scrambled to follow them and looked in the direction the other two were staring.
Flames were rising from beyond the forest.
"…A fire?"
He murmured, and Ritz nodded.
"It'd be nice if that was all it was."
"What do you mean?"
"You heard that sound, didn't you? That was the sound of trees being knocked down."
"Trees?"
He was even more confused. But Edward's murmur sent a chill down his spine.
"An enemy attack, then."
"…Huh…?"
"Looks like it. So Taisha knew about this and was moving our stuff."
"It would seem so."
He looked up at the two of them, completely lost.
"But there's a barrier, no one can get in, right?"
"Right."
"So then…"
"But some people might think that if they just keep cutting down the trees in the forest, they might be able to get inside."
It was true that this house was surrounded by a forest. If one didn't know how the barrier worked, they might think that if the forest were gone, they could get in. In other words, someone like that had come to attack.
"What's going to happen…"
"A barrier's a barrier… they probably can't break it, but this barrier has a hole in it, you know."
"Oh…"
That's right, this barrier had a hole. And a big one, at that, big enough for a flying ship to take off from.
"But the High Priest said even he couldn't get out from there, didn't he?"
If that was the case, then enemies couldn't get in either, so they were safe. He thought so, but Edward quickly shot him down.
"It's true that the confined High Priest Taisha cannot leave. But someone can enter through the hole, can't they?"
"Yes."
Orphe had said he came here that way.
"Then couldn't a spirit user send a spirit in through that hole?"
"A spirit?"
"That's right. For Anna, a Water Dragon. For you, a Fire Dragon."
"I see…"
Among spirits, a dragon was loyal to commands and could attack with its own will, so it was possible for one to attack the people inside here.
As he understood, he became terrified. This country was a Divine Kingdom… meaning the priests of the Clan of Darkness controlled the people through temples in each city. That meant their spirit users were even more skilled than human ones.
"Isn't it dangerous to stay here!?"
"…Well, yeah."
"Why are you so calm!?"
He couldn't help but press Ritz, who just gave a bitter smile.
"There's a hole, sure, but the enemy doesn't know it's there, do they? We can assume, but it's not a realistic possibility, is it?"
"Ah…"
That's right, people couldn't enter here. So only Taisha, Franz's group, and Orphe should know about it.
"So, the two things we need to worry about are whether the barrier will break when they come cutting down those trees, and if it does, whether we can leave immediately. Well, that's assuming the enemy doesn't know about the hole."
Though spoken cheerfully, Ritz's words had a hint of sarcasm. Not understanding why, Franz was confused when a calm voice spoke from right behind him.
"That assumption is meaningless."
It was Taisha. He turned to see Taisha with her usual calm smile.
"So… you did use some method to inform the outside about the hole in the barrier."
Facing Edward's direct gaze, Taisha smiled.
"I thought you might have noticed, but it seems you've figured it out."
At Taisha's unexpected betrayal after spending several days together, Franz was shaken.
"Why would you do such a thing? You were having so much fun building the flying ship with us!"
"Franz."
Ritz patted his shoulder soothingly, and he looked up at him.
"This man has been deceiving us all this time!"
But Ritz just shook his head with a troubled look.
"Just calm down."
"Why are you stopping me!?"
He yelled, not understanding, and Edward looked at him quietly.
"Franz. Taisha did not betray us."
At Edward's unexpected words, Franz fell silent. He slowly turned his gaze to Taisha, who met Edward's stare.
"Why do you think so?"
"Because I saw you moving our supplies."
"I see… so you saw…"
With that, Taisha gave a bitter smile.
"If you saw, you should have helped."
He felt a little relieved at seeing the same Taisha from the past few days, but his next words left him stunned.
"But I was the one who reported that there is a loophole above this barrier, and that there are criminals here who have been sentenced to be eliminated by order of my God."
"No…"
Wasn't that a betrayal? While Franz was reeling, Ritz and Edward remained calm. Eventually, Ritz spoke to Taisha, his voice a murmur.
"You're not planning to die, are you?"
At the quiet question, Taisha's expression didn't change as she looked up at the sky.
"Why do you think so?"
"You still love your god. And yet you built the flying ship. You could have built it even if we hadn't come, but you never did for a hundred years. That's because you didn't want to betray your god, right?"
"Yes. That is correct."
"But our arrival made you build it. That means betraying your god and the beliefs you've held until now. I can't imagine you, a former High Priest, could forgive yourself for that."
Listening to Ritz's detached words, Taisha smiled at him.
"Is that from experience?"
"…A hundred years is long, even with a thousand-year lifespan. I know that."
"I see."
As the two fell silent, the sound of another tree falling echoed.
"It seems they're checking the barrier first. If the barrier is still active, the enemy will definitely come from above."
Taisha said calmly, then looked at the three of them in turn.
"Prepare the flying ship for launch. I will protect it as well."
Ritz and Edward nodded and ran to get the last of their packed luggage. But Franz couldn't move. As if concerned, Taisha prompted him.
"You should go too."
"But…"
"Hurry, or some kind of dragon might come flying in."
Being told that, he had no choice but to hurry. With a small nod, Franz ran back to the room, grabbed his luggage, and snatched Sara's lamp. Sara, inside, chirped softly, as if to ask what was happening.
"I'll need you to do your best today."
He told her softly, and it seemed as if Sara nodded with a newfound strength. He rushed out of the hut and saw the broken, battered carriage and the horse tied to it. The horse, sensing something, was whinnying and thrashing about.
Remembering Taisha's words that anything other than humans could leave this place, Franz ran towards the horse. If this place was about to become a disaster zone, it might be saved if he cut the rope.
Horses were valuable in this country too, and just because it had belonged to criminals, the horse itself wouldn't be disposed of.
He slashed at the thrashing horse's tether with a knife. He wasn't strong like Ritz, nor was he used to handling blades, so it was slow going. After a struggle, he finally cut the rope, and as if it had been waiting, the horse bolted.
"Be safe."
After saying that softly to the horse, Franz stood up and looked around. Ritz and Edward were gone from sight. They must have gone to load the luggage onto the flying ship.
But the flying ship wouldn't take off with just the two of them. Franz still had Sara. If Franz, who could handle Sara, was late, they wouldn't be able to inflate the central bag.
Just as he was about to run towards the flying ship, sparks of fire rained down from above.
He looked up and saw a Fire Dragon.
"A Fire Dragon…"
The enemy had confirmed they couldn't break the barrier head-on and, just as Taisha had taught them, sent a Fire Dragon through the hole. The Fire Dragon roared, breathing fire.
The Fire Dragon's head was turned towards the flying ship.
"The flying ship… it's going to burn!"
If that happened, their means of escape would be cut off. As he froze in terror, the ground shook. A large tremor forced him to plant his feet firmly to stay standing. The ground split open, and a dragon emerged from it. It was the first time he'd seen an Earth Dragon.
The Earth Dragon let out a low, earth-rumbling roar and stood protectively in front of the flying ship. A torrent of stones rained down on the Fire Dragon's body, and the Fire Dragon writhed. Having taken the Earth Dragon's first blow, the Fire Dragon's target immediately shifted from the flying ship to the Earth Dragon.
As if leading the approaching Fire Dragon, the Earth Dragon crawled towards the field, making the ground tremble. The Fire Dragon, roaring in anger, flew right above it, and sparks rained down from the sky.
Covering his face from the sparks with both hands, he glanced around and saw Taisha.
"Taisha!"
He ran to her, and Taisha laughed.
"Though my power may have waned from long confinement, I am still the High Priest. Don't mind me and prepare for departure."
He nodded and obeyed her words.
He ran to the flying ship, threw his luggage inside, and climbed the ladder. The flying ship was still there, filled with the flying gas from yesterday. Thanks to that potato glue, there was no sign of the gas having leaked, and the cloth bags were taut.
But the central bag was completely deflated. Until it was fully inflated, the flying ship couldn't fly.
Making his way across the unsteady footing of the slightly floating ship, bumping into things here and there in his haste, Franz finally reached the center and placed Sara in the brazier. The freshly laid charcoal crackled and popped.
Next to the brazier was a large pile of charcoal that hadn't been there yesterday. Even if Sara got tired, it seemed they could keep flying by burning the charcoal. Thanking Taisha for her consideration, he gave Sara the order.
"Sara, breathe fire like yesterday!"
"Kii~"
"I'm counting on you. Whatever you do, don't burn the cloth."
"Kii!"
Watching Sara breathe a restrained but long stream of fire, Franz left the spot and looked for Ritz and the others. They weren't on the deck. He went to the bow and found them loosening the ropes that secured them to the ground.
"The fire's lit! Hurry!"
He called out in a loud voice, and the two answered.
"Got it!"
"We'll be done soon."
"Please!"
After shouting, he looked at Taisha and saw that she was struggling. The Fire Dragon soared through the sky at will. But the Earth Dragon, with its heavy body, couldn't keep up. It was at a definite disadvantage.
"Isn't there… anything that can be done…"
He groaned involuntarily. At this rate, the Fire Dragon would break away from the Earth Dragon and eventually notice the even larger target that was this flying ship.
Out of habit, he clutched the gem he kept at his chest. He remembered that this gem had always drawn out his power. They said this was something given by God. If that was the case, then the one who had given him this gem was none other than his master, Orphe.
Could it be that the one who had advised him in tight spots until now was not the Fire Dragon, but his master?
Realizing this, he groaned.
Orphe always gave Franz advice when he was his student, but he never helped him directly. He never summoned or controlled spirits to show him how it was done.
If such a master was a god, would he give Franz a convenient tool for summoning a Fire Dragon? The answer was no. That was impossible.
What if his master was on the other side of this gem, and until now, had been giving Franz advice without revealing his identity…
Could it be that all this time, he had been summoning the Fire Dragon with his own power?
If so, then the only one who could help Taisha right now was Franz.
Taking a deep breath, Franz closed his eyes. Just as his master had told him, he created an image of a calm, flickering flame in his mind. His mind became surprisingly clear, and a quietly burning flame appeared before his eyes.
It's strange. It feels like my mind is connected to another world.
"Oh spirit of flame, who governs power and courage. Grant me your strength."
The incantation, which he had chanted countless times, slipped out naturally. He opened his eyes, spread his arms wide, and fixed his gaze on the entangled, fighting Earth Dragon and Fire Dragon.
"Lend me your power now, Fire Dragon!"
Suddenly, a huge explosion roared behind him. Buffeted by a hot wind from behind, he turned to see flames erupting from where Sara had been.
That flame shot straight towards the two dragons.
"…I did it."
As he murmured in surprise, joy welled up from the depths of his heart.
"I did it, I can do it! I could always do it!"
He couldn't help but shout. He had always thought about relying on someone else, on the gem, but if he looked into his heart with confidence, it was something he could do. The sense of accomplishment, which he was feeling for the first time, made his heart leap.
"Was that you just now, Franz!? It wasn't another enemy, was it?"
At the words of Ritz, who had climbed the ladder at some point, he came to his senses.
"It was me."
"I see. You did it."
Ritz slapped Franz's shoulder, his face as happy as if it were his own achievement. Ritz knew that Franz had been struggling with a power he couldn't make his own. Edward, who had also returned to the center of the flying ship, was smiling and looking at Franz.
He was happy to be acknowledged so honestly.
But this was no time to bask in joy. Ritz had said he was planning to die, but Franz still didn't want Taisha, who had interacted with the same person, Orphe, to die.
If the three of them were aiming for the Great Temple, and even further to God above it, then she should come with them and talk to Orphe, who was God, once more. If a reconciliation with God was reached, her confinement would be lifted, and even Kuchiba wouldn't be able to object.
"Taisha's not here yet."
When he told Ritz this, Ritz's face clouded over.
"I don't think she's coming with us."
"…Maybe not. But I want to talk to her one more time."
Lightly patting the reluctant Ritz's shoulder, Edward stood before Franz.
"You should go. But I want you to respect Taisha's will."
"…His will…?"
"I believe I told you before, but those who stand above always live bearing the thoughts of the people. Even if those thoughts are hatred or sadness. Taisha followed the word of God and caused assassinations and wars. How he chooses to deal with himself, having broken God's taboo, is something he must decide for himself."
He understood the weight of Edward's words, he who had started a civil war and caused the deaths of many soldiers. But Franz wanted to persuade Taisha one more time.
This person, who could be called a senior apprentice, influenced by the same person, Orphe.
"Will you still go?"
"…Yes."
"Then you may go. But make preparations beforehand."
"Yes?"
Edward signaled to Ritz with his eyes. Ritz began to wrap Franz tightly in rope.
"Wh-What are you!"
"There, that should do it!"
When he came to, his hands and feet were free, but his stomach was wrapped tightly in rope, and a long cord extended from it. The other end was held in Ritz's hand.
"What is this?"
"If the ship flies off, we won't be able to pick you up, will we? Listen, once Sara finishes inflating it, this ship will take off on its own. When that happens, I'll use this to pull you up onto the ship. That's your time limit."
He looked back at the cloth bag and saw that it was about a third of the way inflated. The ship seemed to have lifted off considerably.
"I'm going."
He announced and ran down the ship's ladder and across the field. Stumbling occasionally in his haste, he finally reached Taisha, who was standing in front of the hut.
"Taisha!"
"…Why have you returned?"
He looked straight at Taisha, who asked this with a melancholy tone.
"Let's go, together."
Sparks of fire danced in the air. Franz's Fire Dragon, the enemy's Fire Dragon, and the Earth Dragon were entangled, biting and fighting each other. Each time, a shower of fierce sparks rained down. The dried leaves that had been piled up in various places in the field had already caught fire and were beginning to burn.
"The master will understand. Let's go to the master's place together."
He said this desperately, but Taisha gave a faint, sad smile.
"Thank you. But I will remain here."
"You'll be consumed by the flames if you stay here!"
"…I do not mind. This is how it should be."
"Are you planning to die!?"
The flames that had spread to the undergrowth caught on a pile of firewood and crackled. Thick smoke billowed up into the summer blue sky.
"Science destroys people. I have killed many people saying so. For over three hundred years, I have… continued to kill."
The Earth Dragon roared and was slammed to the ground, destroying the well that was in the center of the field. Water gushed out, and the Earth Dragon, which had been burned bright red by the battle with the two Fire Dragons, shattered.
Franz's Fire Dragon let out a great roar. As if appealing in sorrow.
"How many died, how many people died… I myself do not know."
Taisha's eyes were fixed on the shattered Earth Dragon. From it, a dark spirit slowly began to well up. The dark spirit crept towards the enemy Fire Dragon.
"But, you see, it was because I continued to acknowledge my own truth that I was able to forgive myself. That it was unavoidable, for the sake of the world, for the sake of all the higher races and spirits. But if I myself break the logic by which I have killed these people, I must place myself in the same situation as them."
The Fire Dragon, entangled by the dark spirit, writhed and thrashed, slamming its body violently against the wall of the hut.
Flames began to engulf the hut. The cluttered, yet somehow nostalgic and comfortable hut they had spent several days in.
"Then why did you build the flying ship!?"
Franz shouted, enduring the hot wind that scorched his cheeks.
"If you knew that, why!?"
"And yet, I wanted to see it with my own eyes. This ship that flies with the power of science."
Taisha was staring straight at the flying ship. Ritz and Edward were there. They must have known Taisha's resolve, which was why they hadn't wanted Franz to go.
For some reason, tears threatened to fall. He stared at Taisha silently, and Taisha stared straight back at Franz.
"If the desire for knowledge is a sin, then I will gladly fall into that sin. Even if I die entangled in the resentment of the people as a result, I have no regrets."
Taisha's eyes were clear. They were the eyes of someone living with conviction.
"If you meet my God, please tell him this for me. The time will come when the world is filled with those like me. I pray that a light appears to dispel your anguish by then."
"Taisha."
"Now go."
Even when prompted, his feet wouldn't move. Was this okay? Was this really for the best? Franz didn't know. But Taisha gently patted Franz's shoulder.
"If you do not go, my God will be sad. My God was always seeking some kind of answer. You are likely one of them."
"One of them…"
There was a loud noise, and the hut burned down. Fierce sparks flew all the way here.
"Call back your Fire Dragon and go with your friends."
"But…"
"Hurry. There is no more time."
Biting his lip, Franz looked down. This person was satisfied with his way of life. He understood that now. By dying here, Taisha could end his life in the happiest way possible.
"Fire Dragon! Return!"
Letting his emotions take over, he shouted, and the Fire Dragon he had summoned let out a great roar and threw itself into the raging flames. It assimilated with the fire and vanished.
"Thank you very much!"
He yelled and turned his back on Taisha, running towards the flying ship.
"The tea was delicious. Thank you, Franz."
Taisha's words brought tears to his eyes, but if he turned back, he felt he would childishly and selfishly demand she come with them, so he couldn't.
The flying ship before him was gradually beginning to lift off. The cloth bag was almost full.
"Franz! Hurry!"
At Ritz's shout, he just ran with all his might. But the speed of its ascent was accelerating, and he couldn't reach the ladder.
"Grab the rope!"
Heeding the shout, he clung to the rope wrapped around his stomach with both hands, and his feet floated off the ground.
"Whoa, I-I'm flying…!"
He panicked slightly, but his body was being pulled up into the ship with great force. He looked up and saw Ritz.
"I'm pulling you up now!"
By the time he was hauled up with brute force and finally moved to the center of the ship, the vessel was flying over the trees of the forest where Taisha's hut had been.
Having finally reached the center of the ship, he was catching his breath when a huge explosion occurred in the direction of Taisha's house. The ship rocked from the blast.
"What happened!?"
Ritz shouted and peered down. Edward was looking down as well. Though Franz was afraid of heights, he wanted to know what had happened to Taisha, so he looked.
There, a great pillar of fire was rising, scorching the sky with thick smoke.
"…It's that flying gas, isn't it?"
At Edward's murmur, Ritz nodded. Speechless, Franz watched the scene.
"He didn't want to leave any clues to the knowledge of science… other than this ship…"
That was his final job as the High Priest of the Clan of Darkness.
Ritz placed a hand on the dejected Franz's head.
"You're not a priest of the Clan of Darkness. You're not a servant of God. So make sure you see the truth clearly."
"Ritz…"
"Maybe your journey is Artis Ozmand's journey to find the truth."
Unable to answer Ritz's murmur-like words, Franz burned the receding scenery into his memory as he gazed at the great mountain range, hazy in the distance.