Chapter 39: Rodollan (1)
Ronan succeeded in capturing Cyril and Edwon. They were led away by soldiers who followed behind. The soldiers took basic precautions to ensure that Cyril wouldn’t die during the transportation.
“Her bleeding is severe. Bring potions and bandages.”
Cyril’s left knee was cleanly cut off. Her bleeding only stopped after pouring potion into it.
“W-what is this exactly? Are his limbs growing back?”
On the other hand, no such measures were taken for Edwon. Tentacle-like sprouts were growing from where his limbs used to be.
The soldiers who were carrying Edwon became thoughtful. Ronan, who was approaching, snatched the torch from one of the soldiers.
“Give it here.”
“Oh!”
Ching!
Ronan sliced all four sections with the torch. Edwon, who had been struggling, emitted a painful groan as he fell unconscious. The writhing tentacles stopped growing and regenerating.
It was a scene that made one’s stomach turn. Ronan spat on the ground and muttered as he wiped his mouth.
“Damn, is this some kind of magic too?”
“I’m not well-versed in this area, so I don’t know.”
“No matter how impressive magic is, I don’t want to learn about stuff like this. But I have something I really need to ask these guys.”
“Well, it’s a crime against the Empire rather than individuals, so they’ll probably be escorted to Rodollan right away.”
“Rodollan? The prison floating in the Yemyeong Sea?”
“Yes. The interrogators there will extract everything they know.”
Rodollan was a place Ronan had heard of many times. The Fortress of Screams, Rodollan. It was a place where criminals who had caused harm to the Empire were imprisoned and interrogated, where screams and tears never ceased.
The interrogators of Rodollan, who employed cunning and persistence as their basic qualities, were said to extract confessions from suspects by ‘any means necessary’.
“If you’re feeling uneasy, I’ll arrange a separate meeting place, so don’t worry too much.”
“Geez… You look so cool today, Professor.”
“You little… Is this also some kind of magic?”
Navirose’s eyes widened for a moment upon hearing the compliment. She pointed her chin at Lamancha at the corner of her mouth.
“Tsk, by the way, that’s an unusual sword. Did Daron the craftsman make it?”
“Yes. Do you like it?”
Navirose nodded in silence. The aura emanating from the Sword wasn’t ordinary. If not for her composure as a Professor, she would have wanted to swap and wield it later.
“Anyway, good job, Ronan. The achievements you and your friends have made will be reported to the headmaster in due time.”
“I just did what I could.”
“While it’s impossible to award commendations for events that took place in secret, there will surely be separate commendations. As someone indebted to Gran Cappadocia, I express my gratitude.”
Navirose smiled lightly. The corners of her eyes curved softly. Come to think of it, it was the first time he had seen her laugh like this.
Maybe she’s truly a good person, as Adeshan said. Ronan thought that as he used the torch to strike Edwon’s limbs again.
Ching!
“Gahh…!”
Ronan and Navirose headed to Gran Cappadocia together. In the ruined forge, rescue operations were in full swing. The professors of Philleon, soldiers of the Empire in their formal attire, were busy moving people and materials.
“Hey there! Start clearing the debris. Be careful not to damage any salvageable equipment.”
“Yes! Captain Avar! It’s good to see you like this, even if it’s just for a moment!”
“I retired ages ago, what’s with the ‘Captain’… Well, let’s hang in there a little longer!”
Avar, the Empire’s swordsmanship Professor, was directing the soldiers. Dozens of animal-shaped spirits were carrying debris. An elf with pierced ears, likely an elementalist, observed the scene with a long pipe in his mouth.
“Ahahaha! You still can’t catch anything, little brother. It’s been a while, but what’s this mess?”
The figure of the hunting Professor, Kydokan, also appeared. He handed a drink to Dydican, who was leaning against the wall, and chuckled. Dydican, who was much larger, was impressively respectful.
“Sorry to cause trouble, big brother.”
“No need to apologize! If only my heart was willing, I’d teach you the Gidokan Ryu martial art right away… But now I need to go down below. There might still be people there!”
“Big brother, you’re always full of energy. Take care…”
Kydokan, who had been snoring, rushed toward the mine. As Ronan had expected, he was making a significant contribution to finding the injured.
Dydican, who met eyes with Ronan, raised his hand in greeting.
“Oh, Ronan. Did you meet the King of the Stone Giants well?”
“I had bigger things to deal with. I found a new location for Gran Cappadocia.”
“A location…?”
Ronan smiled at Dydican’s demeanor. He still seemed somewhat groggy, but most of the injuries that had scattered over his body were gone.
It was probably Cita’s doing. Dydican pointed with his thumb toward a corner of the ruins.
“By the way, your friends are over there. They’ve incurred a debt that can’t be expressed. I’m truly thankful.”
“Forget it, it was your efforts that saved Daron.”
“It’s not just because of Daron’s. Many people were injured, but there were almost no fatalities.”
Dydican suddenly got up, his legs wobbling, and he stood up. Bending his waist in half, he expressed gratitude to Ronan.
“You saved not only Gran Cappadocia but also the future of metallurgy. I’m really grateful. I won’t forget it.”
It was quite a grand gesture of gratitude. After giving Ronan a cool smile, Dydican headed toward the place he mentioned.
It was a place where the injured who hadn’t been brought to the surface were laid down. The injured were lying in a row on the long stretchers, groaning.
“Should I put them over there?”
“Well, yeah. This young lady has a lot of strength…!”
Soon, Marya’s figure, carrying boxes of relief supplies five at a time, came into view. Spotting Ronan, she called out happily.
“Ronan, you’re alive!”
“Would I be here if I were dead?”
Marya put the boxes down and rushed over with her arms wide open, embracing Ronan.
“Why are you so badly injured?”
“I got hit by the Giant King’s fist with my sword.”
“Speaking gibberish again…”
“But could you let go of me? I’m really dying.”
His breathing was obstructed by her generously endowed chest. Marya, her face turning red, hurriedly released him. As Ronan surveyed the scene, he tapped her shoulder and spoke.
“Great job. You brought a lot of people.”
“Yeah. Everyone took the situation more seriously than I thought, so I did something… But I felt it was necessary. Can you let me know exactly what happened down below?”
“When we get back, I’ll explain properly. It’s a long story.”
“Oh, take care!”
Passing by Marya, Ronan followed the stretchers. Aselle and Cita were lying side by side at the front. Ronan crouched down by their heads.
“You did well.”
“Ugh… Ugh… Uh… Ronan?”
“Beah…!”
Both of them looked noticeably exhausted. It was because they had exerted too much strength during the rescue operation. Ronan scratched his head against Cita’s belly as he spoke.
“Your skills have improved even more, Aselle. You practically outshone the Archmage.”
“Oh, no… I didn’t… I mean…”
“At times like this, stand tall, my friend. If it weren’t for you guys, those dwarves would have all ended up as graves without coffins underground.”
“T-That’s…”
“Thanks to you and Marya, we were able to do it. Thank you for following me from Nimbuten, Aselle.”
Ronan spoke calmly. Aselle’s large eyes glistened with moisture. Cita, who had been wriggling around with its wings fully extended, let out a whimper that seemed to express its feelings.
“You too, Cita.”
While he was the one who defeated the giants and dealt with the threat, the sword was just a tool. Without the help of those around him, it would have been impossible. Realizing the importance of teamwork once again, Ronan smiled and said,
“Okay then, I’ll be off. Take a rest.”
“Huh… Where are you going?”
“Hanging up some pelt trophies, two young falcons.”
Ronan followed the soldiers assigned to escort Navirose and departed to the surface.
After walking for about an hour on the winding path, the clear night sky stretched out before them. The wind whistling through the wasteland was refreshing compared to the underground air.
“This is…”
Underneath the dark cliffs, there spread a forest of turquoise hues. The surreal landscape left Ronan’s eyes wide open. It was the place he visited during his trip to the Fountain of Phaenar. The Shemo Forest near Jidu was located not far from the academy.
“It’s about time…”
The officer in charge of the escort glanced at a pocket watch. Shortly afterward, something huge flew quickly from the other side of the night sky. It was a convoy being pulled by two griffins dispatched from Rodollan.
Phwoooo!
“They are no joke, seriously.”
Ronan stuck out his tongue upon seeing the griffins. The guards dispatched from Rodollan were all wearing bird-shaped masks on top of their avian outfits.
They had already put additional restraints on the still unconscious Cyril and Edwon. Cyril, who had regained consciousness belatedly, opened her eyes wide and began shouting.
“Just… s-stop… uuuh!… Uuuh!!”
Thud!
One of the guards who saw that scene injected a syringe into Cyril’s neck. The green liquid flowed in, and Cyril’s head drooped as she lost consciousness again.
The transfer was completed in less than five minutes. The guards, who had kept silent until the end, boarded the convoy with the two individuals. Ronan shrugged his shoulders as if he were fed up.
“These are quite the quiet bunch. I guess they won’t be welcoming me at the party.”
“They know how to distinguish unnecessary actions.”
As the griffins took off, creating a gust of wind, the soldiers staggered back. Ronan felt relieved only after the convoy became a dot and disappeared in the night sky.
Ronan returned to Gran Cappadocia and continued to help the people. The rescue operation was finally completed around noon the next day.
“I’m back, Lucy…”
“Oh my! Ronan, what’s gotten into you? What happened?”
“Just let me rest a bit… Geez… Can you take off my socks…”
Thud!
Returning to the dormitory with heavy steps, Ronan collapsed onto his bed. Only after sleeping and shedding the accumulated fatigue in his body the whole day did he manage to feel refreshed.
“…What’s this?”
He muttered, puzzled, as he picked up something.
After two days, Ronan woke up to find Cita curled up at the head of his bed, along with a letter. Ronan yawned widely and then proceeded to open the sealed envelope.
As he read the letter carefully, his eyes widened.
“…Already?”
The letter from Rodollan was informing them that the interrogation regarding the two individuals had concluded.
****
The sound of the waves was rough. The salty sea breeze tousled their hair. A senior gentleman who had come to greet them bowed respectfully.
“You both have come a long way. I hope the journey was not too uncomfortable.”
“We’re fine.”
“Not bad. I nearly got my hips split horizontally though.”
Navirose had kept her promise to prepare a place.
On the afternoon they received the letter, Ronan and Navirose took the griffin-pulled carriage to Rodollan. The ride was quite bumpy, but the breathtaking dawn view from the sky made it bearable.
“That’s fortunate. Well then, please follow me.”
The elderly man smiled gently as he turned around. A black-clothed man had a bird-beak mask hanging from his belt, but its form was different from the ones worn by the guards before. Navirose said,
“He’s not a guard, but an interrogator. One of the most malicious nightmares among the many nightmares Rodollan’s prisoners could have.”
“What’s with this friendly reception, Inspiring One?”
“Don’t you know that you can’t judge the world based on appearances alone? By the way, I’m not sure if I’m doing the right thing.”
“Why?”
“You’ve thought a thousand times, haven’t you? There’s no place I could have brought a student to. If it weren’t for you catching them, I wouldn’t have brought you here no matter what happened.”
Navirose frowned as if she were displeased. Ronan looked up at the fortress of screams, Rodollan. The colossal, pointed structure that rose from the sea looked like a reef that could shipwreck any vessel.
As the gates of Rodollan opened, unexpectedly sleek and neat interiors came into view. Ronan thought that this seemed like quite a decent workplace. Well, except for the occasional shouting.
Shrill screams and sobbing were echoing from all directions.
“Kyaaah! Stop, stop!”
“Kill me, please, just kill me…”
“Yihi… yihihi…”
Guided by the man, Ronan headed deep into the fortress. Thick iron doors lined both sides of the long corridor. Different screams could be heard from behind each door.
After walking for about twenty minutes through the labyrinth-like path, the old man finally stopped walking.
“We’ve arrived.”
In front of him was a door much thicker and sturdier than he had seen so far. The elderly man took out a long, intricately shaped key and turned to the two of them.
“Official reports will be submitted later, but for now, let me briefly tell you what we’ve learned from Rodollan. Nebula Clazier. That’s the name of their organization.”
“Nebula Clazier?”
Ronan raised an eyebrow. It was a name he had never heard of in his previous life.
“Yes. They were behind the large-scale inexplicable accidents that occurred all over the continent for nearly a year. The incidents that have been cross-verified as their doing include the devastating fire that swept through the Naranja Singing Grounds and the explosion incident at the magical engineering institute, Etemen.”
The elderly man detailed the crimes committed by Cyril and Edwon, or rather Nebula Clazier. All of them were major offenses that could have a significant impact on certain fields. After listening to the man’s explanation, Ronan raised his hand and asked,
“By any chance, did they mention what ‘The Arrival of the Stars’ is?”
“That… I’ve never heard of it. Was there something like that?”
“Is that so? Nasty bunch. Let me ask them something.”
“Seriously, I thought they had spilled everything, but turns out they were still hiding something…”
Cracks of laughter appeared on the old man’s face. In an instant, an eerie sensation swept through, causing Ronan to nearly reach for the hilt of his sword.
He pressed the bird-beak mask he had on his belt against his face. The mask resembled an eagle devouring a carcass.
“Forgive my lack of manners, but I’ll ask. While Navirose may be fine, I’m concerned about you, Ronan, as you’re still a young student. I worry that it might be a shock to your young heart. Are you really okay?”
“I cut off the limbs of those bastards.”
“Hehehe… You’ll have a different perspective from back then.”
The old man didn’t press any further and inserted the key into the lock hole. With the sound of dozens of locking mechanisms moving, the door opened. A horrendous moaning sound that hardly seemed human emerged, making it hard to believe it was produced by a person.
“Ah… ugh…”
“Ugh! Shut it! Shut uppp…”
“Damn it.”
As Ronan saw Edwon and Cyril, his eyebrows narrowed. The grotesque sight was so terrible that, if shown to a hundred people, ninety-nine would either vomit or faint, except the leader would either vomit or faint.
Under the interrogator’s bird-beak mask, a mischievous voice flowed out.
“Have you had sweet dreams?”
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