Chapter 148 The Second Platonovena
――The ship arrived at the northern land.
"Laura, Laura."
"Yes."
"Laura, Laura."
"Yes, yes, I'm here."
The water spirit was repeating the words it had just learned. Since I was called by my name, it would be impolite not to respond, so I replied every time I was called, even if it was a bit awkward.
Marta, who had gotten off the ship and seemed to have fully recovered her energy (although she had been quite noisy, she didn't seem to be seasick), approached us with light footsteps.
"Wow, it can talk now!"
"But it seems like it can't talk well yet."
Marta crouched down and peeked at the water spirit's face. Then, she pointed to herself.
"I'm Marta. Ma, r, ta."
It seemed like she wanted the water spirit to call her name too.
The water spirit stared at Marta's slowly moving lips, and then moved its own lips.
"La... u, Ma... ta."
"Good job, good job!"
When Marta laughed, the water spirit also smiled, looking happy.
Although it couldn't pronounce the words clearly, it might be able to call other people's names soon.
"It's so cute, isn't it?"
Diona also approached us, having heard our conversation. I thought that Diona might be harder to pronounce than Marta, but we continued to teach the water spirit new words for a while.
After that, we decided to head to Platonovena from the harbor on horseback. I who couldn't ride a horse, was allowed to ride together with Vake, and we enjoyed a short horseback ride.
(Hey, aren't those...)
I focused my eyes. The one who welcomed us at the city entrance was a familiar face. It was the lovely blonde girl, Emiliana-san.
"Welcome, everyone. I'm Emiliana Platonovena."
She bowed her head elegantly, looking quite mature, and I couldn't help but be impressed.
I became the Royal Alchemist right away and visited the snow country, Platonovena. Although the expedition was quite difficult due to the monster attack, I was able to meet Emiliana-san, which was a great harvest. Thanks to her knowledge and connections, I was able to discover The Drinking Water of the Spirits. Moreover, during our escape, we encouraged each other, and she even became my first disciple, bringing me a very precious bond.
I never expected to reunite like this, but I'm genuinely happy.
Vake helped me down from the horse, and I rushed to Emiliana-san.
"Emiliana-san!"
"Laura-san, long time no see! Arnold-sama too!"
Emiliana-san greeted us, and Arnold responded with a slight bow. At first glance, it seemed like an impolite response, but she just smiled and didn't scold Arnold.
"I'll guide you to the lord's mansion."
The lord... just hearing that word makes me nervous.
Alex Platonovena, the young lord who rules this land. He's a character who also appears in "Last Brave" ――during the previous monster attack, he managed to survive but lost both his legs.
It's been a while since I last met him. I wonder if he's doing well.
Following Emiliana-san, I entered the mansion where I had stayed before. We walked down the long corridor and were led to a grand office.
When the door opened, a man with silver hair turned around. He was "standing" on 2 legs.
"Welcome, everyone. I'm Alex Platonovena."
Lord Platonovena, Alex-san, welcomed us with a gentle smile.
He firmly stood on his 2 legs, stepped on the carpet, and walked towards us. Although he was supposed to have lost both legs, I couldn't help but be surprised by his appearance, and I glanced at Arnold. He was also staring intently at Alex-san's legs.
He's standing there, having lost both legs in the war. It's likely he's wearing prosthetic legs, but his natural gait doesn't give it away at all, making me wonder how much effort he's put in over the past 2 years.
――Emiliana-san and Alex-san both look energetic, which is great. Really great.
"I've got a rough idea from Arnold-dono's letter. You're all looking for Spirit-sama, but... maybe they're in the tower located further north of the city?"
Alex-san cuts to the chase, not wasting any time.
Arnold takes a step forward and asks.
"What's this tower?"
"My wife can explain it in more detail."
As Alex-san finishes speaking, Emiliana-san, who was waiting near the entrance, rushes over to him. Her tense expression makes her open her mouth.
"There's a story that mothers tell their children in this land. The guardian deity living in the tower in the northern forest loves silence, so it's forbidden to set foot in the forest, or..."
After taking a breath, Emiliana-san continues.
"There's a deep forest to the north of the city, with thick fog that makes it impossible to see what's on the other side. It's an environment that monsters love, so it's a made-up story to keep children from getting close to the forest..."
I think that's a pretty plausible story. Instead of just warning them not to get close, creating a reason why they shouldn't is more convincing.
"It was the morning of the tenth day after the demon king's revival. Suddenly, the fog cleared, and the tower appeared on the other side of the forest... No, I suppose what was already there became visible."
We exchange glances at Emiliana-san's words. Everyone looks almost convinced.
The fog must have been a barrier. It was probably broken when the monsters took control, making the tower visible from the city.
After Emiliana-san finishes explaining, Alex-san opens his mouth this time.
"I was thinking of sending troops to investigate, but the city is still in the process of rebuilding and can't spare any manpower... I apologize."
"No need to apologize, that information is enough. We'll take care of the investigation from here. Thanks, Alex."
It was Vake who responded to Alex's apology with a familiar tone. Hearing him call Alex by his name without honorifics, it seemed like they had a past friendship. It wasn't strange for Vake, a member of the Knight Order, to visit Platonovena on a mission.
Alex-san spoke in a soft voice, as if to dispel the heavy atmosphere.
"Your rooms are prepared at the inn. Feel free to use them as you like. And I've also informed the Platonovena branch, so if anything happens, just contact Vilma."
Vilma-san. Hearing that name, the image of her beautiful, fiery red hair flashed in my mind. I wanted to meet again with my senior, who had a strong sense of responsibility as a Royal Alchemist.
Alex-san looked at our faces, then slowly bowed his head.
"Good luck."
Lukas responded with a strong nod.
We had to accomplish our mission before the monsters struck Platonovena again, now that the city was finally recovering from the monster attack 2 years ago.
"I'll show you to the inn!"
Emiliana-san said with a cheerful voice. We followed her back, passing through the office and the mansion.
We walked down the main street of the city. Although the buildings destroyed by the monsters were mostly repaired, there were no tourists in sight, but the city's people seemed to be in high spirits.
I quickened my pace to walk beside Emiliana-san, calling out to her.
"It's reassuring to see the city's reconstruction progressing."
"Everyone's doing their best, so it's okay."
Emiliana-san said with a delighted tone.
Come to think of it, she had taken the surname Platonovena, which meant she was formally married, right? Alex-san had also referred to her as his wife... If that was the case, I wanted to celebrate properly when the time came.
"Laura-san, you're also traveling, and I was surprised to hear about it in a letter, but it's good to hear you're doing well."
"I'm doing my best, somehow."
I forced a smile and replied, and Emiliana-san's eyes clouded with concern, but she laughed again and said "Good."
Then, on our way to the inn, we chatted idly about nothing in particular. We talked about my job, Emiliana-san and Alex-san's daily lives, and then――
We arrived at the inn. Between the buildings, I saw a large tower in the distance, looming vaguely.
"Ah... is that the tower Emiliana-san was talking about?"
"Yes, that's it."
I gazed intently at the tower. I could see the top of it, but it was even taller than I had imagined.
(Can I really climb it...?)
It's not like there's an elevator or anything, so I'll have to climb the stairs. Just thinking about it makes me feel heavy-hearted.
Emiliana-san and I parted ways at the inn's entrance, and I headed to the room she had prepared for me. It seemed we had taken 2 rooms, a large one and a medium-sized one, which naturally divided us into male and female groups.
After finishing our preparations, I visited the large room where the men were gathered. Then, I looked out the window to check on the tower and we began our strategy meeting.
The first to speak was Arnold.
"Is that tower the dwelling of the sky spirits?"
'It's the Ciello Tower. The fog must have been its barrier.'
It was Avour, the fire spirit, who answered.
After Avour's response, Vake spoke up.
"So, the monster took control and the barrier disappeared?"
'That's probably what happened.'
"If that's the case, we should prepare for the possibility that the monster is waiting for us."
Vake's words made the atmosphere in the room tense. It was within our expectations, but the prospect of fighting a monster made the air heavy.
Arnold broke the silence again.
"I'll synthesize healing potions. I'll ask the Platonovena branch for help, but I'll need a day."
"Then the men can buy weapons and armor. We'll also need to borrow horses for our trip to the tower."
Vake continued.
When Arnold makes up his mind, he's quick to decide and take action. Vake, who has more experience than anyone and can judge situations calmly, is always reliable.
In the relaxed atmosphere, Marta was the first to speak up among the girls.
"Alright, let's team up with Laura and the water spirit!"
Marta and Diona exchanged a glance and nodded. It's a shame to rely on them, but I need to borrow their power to get things done before we depart.
"The holy sword is right in front of us ―― I think the demon king's side is getting anxious too. Let's do our best without slacking off!"
Everyone nodded in agreement with Lukas' words. It seemed like the hero's call had united their hearts.
Each of us had our own tasks to attend to, so we left the inn. I headed towards the city entrance with Diona, Marta, and the water spirit. We couldn't practice our crossbow skills in the city park, after all.
When we arrived at an open area near the city entrance with few pedestrians, the tower looked even better than before.
(...The holy sword is just a little farther away)
I gripped my crossbow tightly, pouring power into my hand.
The demon king's interference is bound to get more intense from now on. That's why I need to get stronger, so I won't become a hindrance.
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