kscans

Chapter 40 - A New Pilgrimage and the Little One, Part Six

"...Nn?"

Legend and reality had intertwined, and as the adults scrambled around asking, "What happened? What caused this?" the Little One, who had been sleeping soundly, felt a strange sense of breathlessness and fluttered her eyes open. There before her was the gnome in question. It was sitting formally on the Little One’s chest, its eyes, hidden by its bangs, staring intently at her.

No, more importantly, get off. I can’t breathe.

Still half-asleep from the surreal sight, the Little One reached out a hand toward the gnome. The gnome then placed something in her hand. Something with a hard texture. "Honi?" Blinking her eyes, the Little One brought it up to her face. In her hand was a dark purplish stone. The stone, with a color that slightly unsettled her nerves, felt strangely heavy and stuck to Chihiro’s palm.

"What is this?"

As consciousness slowly returned, the Little One ignored the gnome, sat up, and groggily took in her surroundings.

Is this a guest room? I must have fallen asleep.

The heavy furnishings were out of place in a mining town. The bed even had a canopy, and Chihiro remembered that this was a villa for the royal family.

"That gnome. It’s crying."

"Gyah?!"

Thinking she was alone, Chihiro jumped and spun around at the sudden voice, only to see her familiar brother. He was sitting on a chair by the bed, hugging his knees, his black eyes holding a complicated color. Puzzled by Chihaya’s unusual atmosphere, Chihiro tilted her head.

"Last night. The gnome said something. That this place is sad."

Pardon?

That makes no sense.

"This place. It’s sleeping. Lots of lives. But everyone is trying to dig them up, so it’s sad."

"Sleeping? Who?"

Having said that much, the Little One realized. It was the same on Earth, wasn’t it? The word used metaphorically for things that are enshrined or buried. And if the expression "life" was attached, it meant the dead.

As if confirming the Little One’s suspicion, Chihaya furrowed his brow and muttered.

"The people who had this place stolen from them are angry. That’s why this place is attacked. They’re saying, ‘Give it back.’"

"Big brother, how do you know all that?"

"I’m telling you. Look."

Chihaya pointed to the gnome in question.

It was trying to convey something with gestures. But Chihiro couldn’t understand.

"Could it be, big brother, that you can understand the gnome’s words?"

"Can’t you hear it, Hiro? It’s been saying ‘Help me’ this whole time."

Oh no... The overpowered item strikes again!

Apparently, Chihaya’s ear cuff could also pick up the words of non-human beings.

The Little One held her head in her hands for a moment, then decided to ask for the details.

According to him, the town of Bastok had expanded considerably recently. It used to be located further south, and the town was just a mining site for collecting and sending ore. However, in recent years, with technological advancements, the town had grown, and what was once the size of a small village had expanded to a scale comparable to the royal capital. A place that had been swallowed up by the rapidly developing town. That was this place, where many beings slept.

This was a graveyard for magical beasts. A place where the strong, sensing their death, had come to rest for generations. By dying just beyond the reach of the frontier’s magic, the magical beasts intended to diffuse the magic dwelling within their bodies. It was a law of nature to expand the forest even a little. However, humans had built a town there. To reclaim it, the magical beasts had been attacking Bastok.

The stone the gnome had given her was what remained of those magical beasts. A crystal of their magic, accumulated deep within the earth over long years. If this were to be unearthed, the efforts of the magical beasts would be in vain. Furthermore, there was another problem that threatened this.

"There’s a dungeon under here. It’s been intentionally sealed off, and the magical beasts inside are rampaging."

"Does that mean…"

As Chihiro involuntarily scowled, Chihaya nodded with a sharp gaze unbefitting his age.

"It happened in the Queen’s forest before, right? I think it’s the same thing."

That codex incident.

The knights who investigated the scene informed her that some kind of barrier had been erected, trapping the magical beasts, and the Little One had immediately destroyed the magic. When she explained that there was a curse that created ferocious creatures in this way, the knights and their personal magicians turned pale. They investigated the interior and were desperately trying to identify the culprit from the magical traces and the spell formula.

There was a high possibility that the same thing was happening here.

I need to talk to the crown prince about this.

It was a dubious story, but fortunately, Prince Marcello had a certain degree of trust in the Little One. If she told him, he wouldn’t just dismiss it.

As the Little One was thinking about this, her eyes fell on the gnome. He was sitting there quietly, listening intently to their conversation.

"By the way, I wonder why the gnome appeared."

Chihiro poked its cute button nose and tilted her head, and Chihaya answered.

"It says it was able to materialize because Hiro’s magic is golden."

Ah.

So that’s it. The Little One showed her gums in a smile. The golden magic that creates the world. That unconventional magic activated magical creatures.

But Chihiro felt a small snag in that explanation.

"If it materialized, does that mean its main body is somewhere?"

At Chihiro’s words, Chihaya and the gnome nodded at each other.

"It says the main body is underground. Hmm? A very deep place? It seems there’s something that gives birth to spirits?"

At Chihaya’s explanation, the Little One’s heart pounded loudly. If that statement was taken literally, it meant that there was something similar to Frontier’s Tower of David underground here as well. And the magical beasts that came to die so far from the frontier. Just as something was about to take shape in the Little One’s mind, there was a knock on the door, and the something she was about to grasp dissipated.

"Chihiro? Are you awake?"

It was Prince Marcello who opened the door gently. Behind him was Dorfen, with a worried look on his face.

"I heard voices. Did you sleep well?"

At his words, the Little One looked at the clock. It was already past noon. Smiling at this, Prince Marcello looked at the gnome in question. He stared at the gnome with a restless demeanor, a light akin to longing in his eyes. The gnome, perhaps feeling uncomfortable under the intense gaze, ducked under the Little One’s arm. Seeing this, Prince Marcello openly displayed his displeasure.

"The gnome is said to be the guardian of my country… Why is it with you?"

Even if you ask me why.

Golden magic is the magic that creates and governs the world. It is an irresistibly charming existence for magical creatures. It also grants the power that comes with it, which is why the gnome was able to materialize. It was the same at the Tower of David. Even though Chihiro had only channeled a little magic, a salamander had manifested. Romel and Chihaya had apparently needed a considerable amount of magic to make one manifest.

So what does that mean? Does it mean that if I go to a place with something like the Tower of David, I can obtain a spirit? While the crown prince wore a pained expression, the Little One sank into a sea of thought.

And then she had a flash of inspiration.

"The prince might be able to get a gnome too, nyo."

"What did you say?"

At the little girl’s brightened face, Prince Marcello’s eyes widened. The hope and joy that coexisted in his gaze were the same color as the expectation he had shown for the Lord’s forest ten years ago.

Something that seemed to have changed but hadn’t was also here.

The Little One couldn’t help but smile with nostalgia.

It was a charming little quirk that some let out small groans at the cuteness of the giggling little girl.

The Little One moved the discussion to the reception room and, through Chihaya, told the crown prince and the others what she had heard. She also suggested the high probability that something was happening underground in Bastok.

"If it’s the same as in Frontier, we can expect the intervention of someone with ill intentions. And as long as this place is occupied, the magical beast attacks will not end."

The Flowers contingent was dumbfounded by the unexpected story.

"If that is true, it is a serious matter. Bastok is a land situated between the border forest and the frontier forest, and its magic has recovered remarkably. In the last ten years, it has become a very important town. If something happens to Bastok, the foundation of Flowers could be shaken."

The possibility of a stampede caused by a codex, or a ferocious monster that might be born from a sudden mutation. Even apart from that, there was the current situation of frequent magical beast attacks, and if they didn’t investigate the cause and take action, they could glimpse a situation that would be irreversible. The Little One glanced at the stirred-up people and recalled the words Chihaya had spun.

Crying.

The magical beasts. The gnome. The land.

They were lamenting that this place had been taken from them.

What should she do? It was presumptuous to meddle in another country’s affairs, but if she overlooked it, she could only imagine a tragic future. Things would probably work out somehow, but it was certain to be in a way that deviated from the Little One’s ideals.

The Little One was selfish.

She was selfish to the core. So selfish it was like rebar.

Therefore, she would proceed as she pleased.

"Hey, Prince. Could you sell me a corner of Bastok?"

If you don’t, you’ll regret it.

A sinister shadow fell over the little girl’s bright smile, and her sharp gaze made those around her tremble.

If I talk to her, she’ll understand. She’ll understand. Yes. She can be ferocious at times, but she doesn’t do things without reason. She shouldn’t, right?

As if to bolster himself, Prince Marcello roused his spirits and heard the details from the Little One.

And then he screamed.

"You should have said something like that sooner!"

Learning the reason why Bastok was being attacked by magical beasts, the crown prince hastily gathered his subordinates. No one had realized that a magical beast magnet existed in a corner of the town they had unwittingly expanded. Oh my. He’s quite understanding. But I’m buying it. I’m not giving it to you.

The gnome looked up at the Little One, who was puffing out her chest, with a look of admiration. Noticing its happy expression, the Little One patted the gnome on the head.

"Come to think of it, I haven’t given you a name yet. Gnome, huh. Hmm, Koropokkuru? We already have a Colon, so let’s go with Pockle."

The small hand patting it was imbued with magic. As it was being patted, the gnome nodded happily. Unconcerned with such a peaceful scene, Bastok and the crown prince were in an uproar. For now, they would summon soldiers from nearby to strengthen security, and it seemed they would lead a contingent of knights from the royal capital to investigate and subjugate the dungeon.

"At times like this, I am truly grateful to have a trustworthy country next door."

The sense of security that they wouldn’t be attacked even if they thinned their border guards to gather soldiers. It was something irreplaceable, and Prince Marcello was truly grateful for it.

"If things go well, you can expect the gnome’s help, nyo. Good luck, Prince♪"

"I don’t know if my magic will be enough, but I’ll give it a try. Thank you. You be careful too."

The parties, which had originally planned to part ways in Bastok, each proceeded as scheduled.

The Frontier contingent headed for the frontier, and the Flowers contingent returned to the royal capital. Due to the unexpected situation, the crown prince and his men set off on fast horses, aiming for the capital at top speed. It was a headache and a half, but he was grateful that the cause was already known and a course of action had been decided.

As they watched the departing Frontier party, Prince Marcello and the Flowers knights bowed their heads deeply.

And so, the Little One obtained a gnome by chance and was quite pleased.

It was a charming little quirk that Chihaya pouted his lips in envy.

No matter where she goes, the Little One gets caught up in trouble, but she’s full of energy today♪