Chapter 136: House of Spirits (2)
***
As Cassion led the way into the Beast Forest, Aris used his ‘Hold’ ability to carry Ruel and kept a watchful eye on him.
“Are you okay now, Ruel-nim?” Aris asked.
“I’m fine,” Ruel replied with a slight nod. Although he felt a bit weak, being carried by Aris meant he didn’t have to walk on his own, so he managed.
Ruel was trying to inhale Breath when he called out to Cassion.
“Cassion.”
“Yes?” Cassion responded.
“Look into Treitol Kran more closely. Something doesn’t seem right.”
Cassion chuckled for a moment. Having overheard the conversation between Ruel and Treitol, Cassion had a rough idea of where Ruel’s suspicions were coming from. First of all, it must have been suspicious that Treitol treated Ruel like a celebrity.
“Ruel-nim, you are much more famous than you think you are.”
“Me?” Ruel asked, disbelief evident in his voice.
“What Cassion says is true. If you simply walk around Apor’s Street, you’ll see children dressed in black, idolizing the title ‘Noble of Darkness…'” Aris was happily telling the story but quickly fell silent as he noticed Ruel’s expression turning serious.
“When did this start?” Ruel’s eyes flickered slightly. If even children were using his title, it meant that the news had already spread far and wide.
“It started a while ago. It happened about two days after you returned from Cyronian to Leponia,” Cassion replied, mentioning the exact date while raising the corner of his lips.
‘Damn you, Ganien.’
Ruel cursed Ganien in his mind several times before pointing ahead.
“Anyway, look into it.”
“Understood,” Cassion replied cheerfully.
***
They safely arrived at the place where a monster named Rupina had appeared.
The trees in the area were not the usual trees found in the Beast Forest, but instead were taller and thicker than normal. The forest looked different than before, and somehow the monsters that had been chasing them suddenly began to retreat.
It took them a moment to catch their breath.
“Am I seeing things? The trees have changed,” Aris quickly took out his notebook and asked Ruel for confirmation.
“It has changed,” Cassion answered, looking at Ruel. “Is that because the monster is dead?”
“I don’t know.”
When Ruel looked to Leo for his thoughts, all he could see was Leo’s eager request for a quick petting session.
For some reason, they ventured deeper into the Beast Forest in a relaxed and comfortable manner, as if taking a leisurely walk.
***
—Ruel is so popular! The spirits are always flocking to him like this!
Leo, perched on Ruel’s shoulder, turned back and smiled.
Numerous spirits followed Ruel, their numbers increasing from the last time they were here.
—Ahem.
Leo felt an unfounded sense of pride, as if he were the leader.
“Now you’re not scared of this place, are you?” After inhaling Breath, Ruel spoke.
—Not at all. This body has overcome this level of fear now.
Following Leo’s words, the spirits also seemed to have lost their fear, no longer clinging to Ruel’s body. Leo raised his front paw and tapped his head lightly.
—This body can sense it!
“What do you sense?”
—A warm energy is flowing from over there!
Leo immediately turned his body in the direction Ruel and the group were heading.
Sniff sniff.
—The smell is also very nice! It’s the same smell as Ruel’s!
Ruel hesitated at Leo’s joyful words.
Ruel knew that the scent emanating from his body was not normal, but he never expected it to be the same scent as the spirits’ home. He couldn’t help but laugh.
Kuroo kuru.
The spirits smiled at Ruel and suddenly detached from his body. The spirits that had been following Ruel walked ahead of him, saying something to him.
—They all express their gratitude.
Leo’s eyes captured the march of the spirits. Their voices transformed into songs, and wherever they drifted, grass grew and flowers bloomed. Gradually, light began to circulate within their bodies. The light expanded, spreading widely through the forest in an instant. The purple leaves bathed in the light transformed into vibrant green, and even the once darkened branches returned to their natural tree color.
—Oooh! The purification is spreading to the remaining contaminated parts of the forest!
Leo exclaimed as he watched the spreading light in awe.
“What…?” Ruel looked around in surprise. If this is purification, it must be referring to what happened when Rupina died.
Cassion and Aris also stopped in their tracks, unable to take their eyes off the sudden phenomenon. Silently, glittering dust fell like fluttering flower petals or snowflakes. Aris reached out to touch the dust and was startled. It was nature’s mana, so dense that it was clearly visible to the naked eye.
“W-what is happening all of a sudden?” Aris asked Ruel in confusion.
Ruel found himself unable to answer Aris’s question. In the direction where the spirits were heading among the many trees, a door appeared. As the spirits stood in front of the tree, the door opened slightly, revealing a multitude of flowers as if spring had arrived inside. However, what Ruel saw peeking through the door was a beautiful being with scales.
“…A king?”
“Did you just say ‘king?’” Cassion followed Ruel’s gaze, but there was nothing but trees in that
direction. It seemed that Ruel was seeing something that he could not see.
—Ruel, Ruel. This body wants to go there!
Leo came down to the ground and tugged at Ruel’s pants.
Ruel, as if drawn by something, walked towards the door, breaking free from his hold on his shadow.
Clank!
At that moment, Cassion appeared in front of Ruel, blocking something with a wooden sword.
“Step back…”
A woman with long brown hair looked coldly at Cassion, not like a spirit but like a human. She was surprised to see Ruel standing behind Cassion.
“Setiria?” She immediately lowered her sword and ran towards Ruel as if she was overjoyed. However, Cassion’s subsequent attack made her raise her sword again.
Clang!
The two swords clashed, sparks flying.
“Back off before I kill you.” Cassion quietly pressured her.
She glanced back and forth between Cassion and Ruel, her expression threatening. “Who are you to stand beside Setiria?”
“I have something to say. Who are you?” Ruel asked her calmly.
“It’s me, it’s me,” she pointed to herself but hesitated. She stopped, as if she would burst into tears at any moment, and finally spoke. “You’re not that child. How many Setirias have there been?”
Ruel finally realized who she was. “Are you a guardian?”
“Yes, I am. Not the guardian who protects you, though. Where is the other guardian? Why did you leave the guardian alone…?”
“They’re dead,” Ruel said, causing her complexion to turn pale blue.
“No, they can’t be dead. That’s not possible. Leaving Leponia without a guardian…”
“See for yourself,” Ruel smirked. How could he summon a guardian that no longer existed?
“The Great Man will come to kill you! Haven’t you heard that from the other Setiria?”
“The Setiria who can explain things to me is no longer…”
“Just a moment,” she said, approaching Ruel once again, but Cassion blocked her once more. This time, Aris joined in, and her annoyance grew. “Who are you, people?”
Aris grew frustrated with the delay and gritted his teeth before speaking. “I’m the knight who protects Ruel.”
“A knight?” She looked at Ruel and, upon his confirmation, reluctantly lowered her sword.
“Setiria, return to Setiria immediately.”
“Are you the guardian that the spirits spoke of?”
“No. I am not the guardian of the spirits. I am just staying here temporarily due to an injury.”
“Where is the guardian of the spirits, then?” Ruel asked a question and then inhaled Breath.
He wanted to enter the place where the beautiful being with scales resided.
If there is a guardian of the spirits, shouldn’t they get permission first?
She shook her head slightly. “It’s contaminated.”
“Contaminated?”
In response to Ruel’s question, she tightly gripped her arm.
“I stopped searching for the one who corrupted the guardians.”
“Guardians?” Ruel suddenly thought of Rupina at the mention of guardians.
“Could it be that the name of the guardian of the spirits is Rupina?” he asked.
In an instant, her eyes widened. Ruel bit his lip. It couldn’t be, but it was Rupina.
-I have protected this place, faithfully following your orders until now. Please aid me in finding rest.
The place Ruel Setiria had commanded Rupina to protect was just beyond that door.
“You… met? You met Rupina?” She asked anxiously, impatience evident in her voice.
Ruel hesitated before answering. “Let me get through to that place first. That’s the priority.”
“You can’t enter without the permission of the Spirit’s Progenitor. It’s not something I can control,” she replied.
Before her words fully sank in, someone slightly opened the door and then swung it wide open.
—The door has opened! The scent inside is so delightful!
Leo exclaimed, his feet ready to dash towards the door.
“Come in, my children,” a solemn voice resounded from inside.
Ruel chuckled and looked at her. “They’re inviting us in?”
“I can’t believe it,” she said, staring at the open door in disbelief. “Didn’t the Spirit’s Progenitor fall asleep?”
***
Aris clutched his notebook, his gaze fixed on the being known as the Spirit’s Progenitor. His hands trembled uncontrollably, unable to believe this situation. He finally saw another spirit other than Leo.
The appearance of the Spirit’s Progenitor captivated him—their shimmering hair and radiant presence, akin to enchanting fairies from a tale. With three pairs of wings draped like a cloak, the Spirit’s Progenitor walked ahead in silence, pausing briefly to glance back.
With a few graceful movements of their fingers, the ground transformed into a table. “Will the humans take a seat?”
“Yes, of course,” Ruel replied, responding with proper etiquette. Seeing the numerous blooming flowers around, Ruel’s heart naturally eased.
“Child,” the Spirit’s Progenitor softly smiled at Ruel. “You’ve grown so much.”
“Yes…?”
“At that time, you were only this tall.” The Spirit’s Progenitor waved his hand around his knee.
Ruel felt more embarrassed than surprised. It seemed the Spirit’s Progenitor knew everything about him. “How do you know me?”
“Didn’t you come here to see the king? Ah, someone has tampered with your memories.”
Cassion’s eyebrows furrowed as the Spirit’s Progenitor casually revealed the secret he had been hiding.
Ruel licked his lips and asked, “Are you saying someone manipulated my memories?”
“I apologize. It seems I unintentionally revealed the secret you were hiding,” the Spirit’s Progenitor apologized, offering a sympathetic gaze to Cassion.
Cassion cautiously inquired, “Do you possess mind-reading abilities?”
“I, too, am a spirit, and I can sense emotions,” the Spirit’s Progenitor replied.
Approaching Aris, he gently stroked his head.
“Don’t hesitate to ask any questions you’re curious about. You’re the one who protects Ruel, aren’t you?”
“Th-Thank you!” Aris replied breathlessly, his face turning red.
The Spirit’s Progenitor’s gaze shifted to Leo, filled with a tinge of sadness.
“Great Purifier.”
—Do you know this body? Leo asked.
“Of course. I have something to discuss with you. Will you listen?”
—Can Ruel come with this body?
“You can come together,” the Spirit’s Progenitor replied with a faint smile.
Leo followed him, laughing joyfully.
—That’s great!
“Child,” the Spirit’s Progenitor, approached Ruel once again.
Ruel’s gaze fell upon a white being with exquisite scales, as if adorned with gems, buried amidst a variety of colorful flowers.
Author's Thoughts
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