CHAPTER 46………………………………………
Beneath the small islands floating lazily in the air, there was nothing but clouds.
“[…Huh?]”
“[The trial has already begun. It would be wise to scatter. Find those who disappeared, then return here.]”
“[Yes.]”
Everyone followed the words of Erdinah’s leader and dispersed.
Eshkal’s companions decided to check another island as well.
“[It looks like no one’s gone there.]”
The place Rohita pointed to was an island a bit higher up.
“[All right. We’ll go to that island.]”
Behind them, the forms of the divine beasts slowly came into view.
The Eshkal group mounted their respective divine beasts and crossed over to the opposite island.
Tap—
When Sierra dismounted and set foot on the ground, she sensed a strange fragrance rising from the bushes.
What is this smell?
She pinched her nose.
It felt like something she had smelled once before in a laboratory.
“[Ah! What the—?!]”
Rohita’s pained scream rang out from behind.
His divine beast had twisted its body and thrown him off.
Everyone stared at Rohita and his divine beast in confusion.
A divine beast making such a mistake?
Grrr—
At that moment, a sound that should never have been heard echoed out.
The surroundings were wide open, with no other animals around.
A noble divine beast shouldn’t be making such a feral sound.
Lukan was growling like an ordinary wolf.
“[Lukan!]”
The other divine beasts were the same.
Like ordinary animals surviving in the wild, they lunged forward.
“[What in the world is going on?!]”
The companions were too busy just defending themselves, unable to attack their own divine beasts.
Sierra, the only one standing still on her own, tried desperately to help them somehow.
“Form a defensive line and separate them—just enough to calm them down, even for a moment…!”
She urgently drew out her mana to form a magic circle.
But the mana scattered like smoke.
“What… what on earth is happening?”
Sierra fell into confusion at this unprecedented situation.
Since learning magic, she had never experienced anything like this.
Mana had always moved as she willed it to.
All she could do was watch her companions being overwhelmed one-sidedly.
“[Get a hold of yourself, Lukan!]”
At that moment, a clear voice pierced into Sierra’s mind.
“Can you be certain, even amid the wavering wind?”
With a strange premonition, she turned around.
As expected, someone was standing beside the guardian tree.
A beautiful woman with pale golden hair.
She looks like someone from Erdinah.
Her unusually sharp ears stood out.
The beautiful woman gazed straight at Sierra, then slowly seeped into the eye of the guardian tree.
Could it be… Erdinah’s prophet, who became the eye of the guardian tree?
Sierra pondered the words the woman had spoken.
Certainty, even amid wavering winds?
“…The guardian tree of Erdinah said we must offer ‘certainty.’”
What was she supposed to be certain of?
Thinking back on what the guardian tree had wanted all along, it all led to one answer.
Could she protect everyone, no matter the adversity?
Of course she had to. And she would.
I can do it.
Sierra recalled what had happened in Glacien.
The immense power of mana she had experienced thanks to the guardian tree.
As she focused on that memory, she drew out the senses that had been turned inward alone.
This time, thankfully, the mana responded to her will.
She stretched it thinner and longer, like threads, spreading it in all directions.
What they need right now is…
In her vision, she saw twisted roots extending up from beneath the islands, forming bridges that connected them.
At the same time, something faint and hazy appeared between the divine beasts and their companions.
As her senses expanded, understanding came naturally.
I don’t need a magic circle right now.
Not only the mana within her body, but even the mana of nature flowed freely as she wished.
Eshkal and their divine beasts are already bound by an unbreakable bond.
Between them, thin silver threads gradually became clearer.
She wrapped them in mana.
Thicker. Stronger. Woven together.
The certainty you have in one another already exists.
Sierra gathered back the mana she had spread far and wide.
Gradually, the divine beasts’ eyes calmed, and their sharp cries subsided.
Ashur and the others, as if sensing something, stopped and quietly faced their own divine beasts.
Ashur stepped closer to Lukan.
The silver wolf spirit shimmered faintly.
Ashur slowly walked into that unusual current.
His silver hair fluttered.
His blue eyes sank deep and dark.
“[Lukan.]”
— “[Ashur.]”
The moment they called each other’s names, his eyes gleamed strangely.
Like a predator holding its breath.
“Haa…”
Ashur let out a deep breath and closed his eyes.
When he opened them again, his gaze had returned to its usual gentle blue.
He turned his head, looking for Sierra.
“[Sierra, you… Sierra!]”
But despite his call, she couldn’t answer and slowly collapsed.
“[What in the world just happened…?]”
Kadiya muttered, sounding exhausted.
After everyone returned to the central island, they purified the curse hanging over the guardian tree.
The trial was already over.
The guardian tree of Erdinah had wanted them to offer “certainty.”
Certainty in oneself, and certainty in one’s companions—those were the goals of the trial.
People from other tribes said they had struggled as well, since their spirits wouldn’t obey them.
Whatever Sierra had done, everything had been resolved—but she had collapsed soon after.
They tried healing spells, but she wouldn’t regain consciousness.
She seemed too exhausted to wake up.
Ashur carefully lifted her into his arms and carried her along.
Once they passed the guardian tree’s trial and lifted the curse, the land that had risen slowly settled back down onto the sea.
“[Erdinah’s become an island. At least there are connecting bridges.]”
“[Yeah. Maybe this is what it looked like in ancient times?]”
Since the guardian tree’s trials always took forms tied to antiquity, Rohita’s words made sense.
Soon, the group was guided into Erdinah village.
Sierra still hadn’t regained consciousness.
Ashur followed the guide, holding her gently in his arms.
The tired sound of her breathing weighed heavily on his heart.
As soon as they arrived at the village, he accepted a cup of collected dew and slowly poured it into Sierra’s mouth.
“Mm…”
Water trickled down the corner of her lips.
Wiping away the moisture with his finger, Ashur stared intently at her softly parted lips.
He already knew how gentle they felt when they touched.
Instinctively, he felt a desire to touch that warmth again.
“Mm… Ashur?”
The moment Sierra opened her eyes, his thoughts scattered instantly.
“Are you okay?”
“Ah… my head hurts a little. Where are we?”
“We’re inside Erdinah village.”
“Oh. So it’s all resolved.”
“You did something, didn’t you?”
“Well. I guess it just kind of turned out that way? Haha.”
“…You pushed yourself too hard, Sierra.”
“Mmm, at the time, that was the only way I could think of.”
“…You did well. Everything worked out thanks to you.”
“Haa, that’s a relief. Honestly, I was a little… scared. I was worried you’d all get hurt.”
In her calm words, her genuine concern for them came through clearly.
For some reason, his heart felt as though it were being squeezed tight.
Suddenly, he felt an urge to hide Sierra away as she looked at him with a shy smile.
Without realizing it, Ashur held her a little closer.
Unfortunately, the gesture seemed to startle her instead.
“Ah, I’m really fine now. I can get up. Thanks for carrying me, Ashur.”
As if only now realizing she’d been in his arms all along, her face flushed red from her cheeks down to her neck.
Would it be warm if I pressed my lips there?
Ashur thought that, his expression calm.
“…All right. Rest a little more, then we’ll set off.”
He soothed his surging feelings by looking up at a tall tree.
It’s a similar color to Sierra’s eyes…
Even so, he couldn’t escape the thoughts of her.
