Chapter 481
The power of a regent must be strong.
However, if the regent becomes too close to the Demon King's people, the kingdom's affairs would be managed without the Demon King's involvement. If the regent gains even more trust, the Demon King would become insignificant.
Charlotte understands that she can control Edina, but forming excessively close relationships with important figures could be dangerous.
Charlotte believes that she is merely a stand-in for the king and should not become the king herself.
This is not exactly what Reinhardt wants.
Of course, Charlotte doesn't think that she can earn more trust from the Four Heavenly Kings and the Council of Elders than Reinhardt just because she wants to.
She cannot gauge the time they have spent building their trust.
She remains cautious of such situations but does not think that either Olivia or Liana would trust her more than Reinhardt.
To them, the regent must be an uncomfortable yet indispensable presence.
Neither too weak nor too strong a power is acceptable.
Charlotte finds herself walking a tightrope of power.
Just before returning to Lazak from Port Mokna.
"Guys, I think there's something you need to know..."
"Something we need to know?"
"Yes."
Lucinil had no choice but to tell Charlotte and Harriet about the strange sight she had seen.
Upon hearing the story, Charlotte and Harriet could not help but understand what Lucinil was talking about.
"Ah, that place must be..."
"Probably..."
"What is it? What happened?"
Charlotte hesitated for a moment before briefly explaining to Lucinil what had happened in Lazak.
"Ah..."
Only then did Lucinil understand what she had seen.
Charlotte wore an emotionless expression, while Lucinil and Harriet could not hide their sorrow.
After a moment's consideration, Lucinil finally let out a long sigh.
"We have to do something about it."
"For now, we've decided to suspend the search for survivors."
"No, that's not it."
Lucinil pointed to the outskirts of Port Mokna.
"Anyone with enough spiritual sensitivity can feel an intense ghostly energy on their skin."
"Ghostly energy...?"
At Harriet's question, Lucinil nodded.
"Yes, ghosts may materialize as undead, or unknown curses may befall us, or even some bizarre phenomena may occur."
Too many deaths had accumulated too many resentful spirits in this area. Nobody knows how many people have died so far.
"We have to do something before it becomes unmanageable."
"What will happen if we don't?"
At Charlotte's question, Lucinil shook her head.
"I don't know."
But her expression was grave.
"That's what makes it even scarier."
Disasters caused by resentful spirits.
A world filled with oppressive deaths everywhere.
No one knew what would happen if they didn't act quickly.
—----
Using a teleport scroll, they could return to Edina, rest for a few days, and come back.
However, teleport scrolls are not infinite. A single scroll could not take them back to Edina due to the distance limitations.
Harriet, sleepless for days, could barely create a teleport scroll after much effort.
They could not waste them recklessly, considering Harriet. If the scrolls were exhausted thoughtlessly, Harriet would be the one to suffer.
Monsters appeared in the Sren Mountain Range as frequently as they did throughout the continent.
Even so, due to the excessively treacherous terrain, the monsters that made their way here were of a completely different caliber compared to the common creatures wandering the wilderness.
As the terrain was so harsh, only the most formidable beings could enter.
For this reason, there was a constant risk of being attacked while asleep, which left me unable to sleep at all.
I had been awake for a full fortnight.
This alone made me feel as though I had become some sort of transcendent being, far removed from ordinary humans.
Not that I wanted to realize that in this kind of situation.
However, no matter how extraordinary my physical abilities were compared to those of ordinary people, a mountain range was still a mountain range.
Scaling rocky cliffs and climbing steep slopes, traversing the bitterly cold mountains at night had its limits.
Where on earth was Rezaira?
Entering the mountain range in search of a single village was like trying to find a tiny oasis in the vast desert.
Was it all in vain?
No, it was definitely in vain.
"Phew..."
I climbed up a rocky peak and gazed upon the endless mountain range.
Looking at the mountains that seemed to have once been a vast, undulating ocean that had suddenly solidified, I could only think that the moment I would find Rezaira might never come.
If I had known this, I would have accompanied Ellen when she went to her hometown.
Despite being a hero's descendant, I even had the absurd thought that if one were to spend their childhood playing in such an atrocious terrain, they might become a Ragan Artorius.
I didn't think Rezaira had been destroyed by monsters.
But if Rezaira still existed, how were they dealing with the monsters?
It was entirely possible that the people of Rezaira had left to find a new settlement.
In that case, my wandering through the Sren Mountains was nothing more than a fruitless endeavor.
I was so angry I could burst; should I set the place ablaze? As long as I had the Flames of Tuesday, I could set the entire mountain range on fire.
Then, the bothersome monsters would either be burned to death or flee somewhere else.
"..."
Of course, if I were to do that, Ellen's mother would try to kill me on sight.
Feeling so helpless, I had all sorts of crazy thoughts.
I climbed down from the rock and continued on my way.
I was tired.
I wanted to sleep.
-Screeeeech!
However, a flying monster appeared out of nowhere and swooped down toward me.
"Seriously?"
-Grooooooowl!
I gripped the Tiamata I had summoned in my right hand and threw it with all my might.
-Sssssss! Kaboom!
The Tiamata, which flew towards the airborne monster, released a torrent of divine power in mid-air, instantly causing the creature to explode.
"Phew."
With the scattered blood of the exploded monster behind me, I descended the mountain.
Rezaira.
Where on earth are you?
—---
Three more days passed.
Due to my lack of proper sleep, my sense of time was dulled to the point that I almost forgot where I was and what I was doing.
The preserved food I had brought with me had run out, so I hunted beasts to eat.
At least I didn't have to worry about making a fire, thanks to the Flames of Tuesday.
At this rate, even if I found Rezaira, I would be in such a state that I wouldn't even know what it was. Around that time, I climbed up a cliff.
There was a crevice in the cliff just large enough for one person to squeeze into.
I crawled in there and fell asleep.
Letting things be as they may.
When I reached the brink of death, I held onto the belief that my instincts would wake me up.
It was a reckless act, but I had no choice – if I didn't sleep, I might die.
I had no idea how long I slept.
I didn't know if I slept for hours or days, but the important thing was that I didn't die.
I crawled out of a crevice, descended a cliff, and found a stream to drink from.
Monsters emerged ceaselessly.
There were no fatal monsters, but they were no pushovers either.
There were some as large as a house, some as big as a deer, and some that flew.
Thankfully, I could dispatch the ones that were almost ethereal and immune to physical attacks with my divine weapon.
I lost track of how many peaks I crossed.
I was wandering through the heart of the Sren Mountain Range.
Where on earth was this place called Rezaira, and was Ellen's hometown really this hard to reach?
Or was it somewhere near the beginning of the Sren Mountain Range?
But I didn't know the direction.
I didn't know if Rezaira was closer to the northern, western, southern, or eastern part of the Sren Mountain Range.
So, every time I climbed a peak with great difficulty, I could only look around, feeling like I was searching for a needle in a haystack.
Sleeping made it impossible to know how much time I spent.
I just wandered through the mountain range day and night, cutting down monsters, again and again.
One of those nights.
"Haah... Haah..."
After tearing apart all the approaching monsters, I collapsed onto a rock at the summit, drenched in blood.
Could Rezaira be non-existent?
Could all this effort be in vain?
As I continued to cut down monsters, my accumulated achievement points surpassed 12,000.
However, I couldn't reach the master class with those points alone.
-Whooooosh!
The gusts of wind at the summit felt like they would tear my face and ears apart.
My clothes were tattered.
I wanted to wash somewhere. Should I do laundry tomorrow?
I thought it would be a waste to bring someone else, so I came alone. Should I have brought someone, anyone else?
An unknown, lofty peak.
This peak seemed to be the highest I've climbed so far.
Sitting on a rock, I gazed at the night sky.
The full moon shone brightly above.
Ellen's mother.
Luna Artorious.
She made the full moon look enormous as if she controlled the world and drew a sword from it.
It was a surreal sight that I couldn't believe even when I saw it with my own eyes.
I still don't know if it was magic, supernatural power, or some other force.
But.
The name Luna.
I couldn't help but repeat the moon-related name in front of the full moon.
Where is Rezaira?
Where is Luna Artorious?
Can I really not find that place?
I am not Ellen.
I don't know the way to become a master class with my own strength.
Though I realized Magic Body Strengthening with my own power, I am not Ellen Artorious, so I don't know the way to become a master class by my own strength.
So someone has to tell me.
Anyone, I'll grab onto them.
I don't want to die like this.
I know that sacrificing my life for the ending is the best option, but I don't want to do it.
I have to find it.
Someone who can lead me.
That someone.
I looked up at the moon quietly.
"...Luna."
Will she come if I call
Will she come if I call to the moon?
If I shout towards it.
If I appeal to the full moon.
"Luna Artorious."
Can I find Rezaira and Luna Artorious?
Towards the moon, vaguely.
"Mother."
With a feeling of injustice and rising heat.
"Mother!"
I cried out.
"Come out! You're watching everything, aren't you? You see it all! Please!"
Desperately.
"Mommmmmm! Mother! Please come out! I know you're watching!"
-Mommmmmmm...
-Maaaaaa...
Damn it.
At my age.
I quietly listened to the embarrassing echo of my own words reverberating through the mountains.
Somehow.
It was a relief that no one heard me, or so I thought.
"...Why."
"!"
Suddenly, a gentle voice reached the back of my head.
It was a familiar voice.
"Why do I have to listen to that?"
As I turned around.
"Mother?"
"So... why do I have to..."
There she was, with a weary expression on her face – a face that was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.
Luna Artorious.
Indeed, she had been watching me from somewhere.
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