Chapter 157
Chapter 157
Palace of Dreams (3)
“Dream Bird's condition is recovering rapidly. I thought it would take much longer since it had been overworked by having its magic drained, but it's recovering faster than I expected.”
“That's a relief.”
“I told you before that this Floating Island was originally the Dream Bird's nest, didn't I?”
Perhaps because it was a spiritual creature, its recovery was remarkably fast. Since it would become a major source of labor for the Religious Order, I was pleased to hear the news.
I nodded at Berrot Oppenheimer's next words. I had already known that the Floating Island had originally been created as the home of the spiritual creature known as the Dream Bird.
“Originally, the Dream Bird itself was connected to the Floating Island. Its magic kept the island afloat, and in return the Dream Bird gained a safe home. All I did was create a device to make that process more efficient.”
“I see.”
“To put it simply, instead of connecting directly from the water main to the purifier, I created a system that goes from the water main to a storage tank, then from the storage tank to the purifier.”
Berrot explained something that didn't really need explaining. When I glanced over, I noticed his gaze was fixed on Winter.
Unlike Canis Ulbushis, who wasn't particularly interested, Winter was interested but clearly struggling to understand.
“Uh... then what's the advantage?”
“It adjusts the difficulty of operating the Floating Island itself. Normally, if the Dream Bird leaves, the Floating Island simply ceases to function. But with this device, it can handle a much wider variety of situations. The magic stored within the device absorbs ambient mana from the surroundings, greatly reducing the burden placed upon the Dream Bird.”
“And~ since it's a device storing the high-quality magic of a spiritual creature like the Dream Bird~ it can be used elsewhere too~ Think of it as a magic battery~ You can carry it anywhere and use it whenever you want depending on the situation~”
Canis added the explanation.
Just then, my food arrived. Looking at the sandwich and grilled bacon, I found myself missing Korean food.
“So I intended to prevent anyone from tampering with that device from the outside. Better yet, I wanted to remove the device entirely. Unfortunately, a problem arose.”
“A problem?”
“Yes. It seems the Administrator of the Floating Island modified it in their own way. The structure has become much more complicated, making it difficult to alter. Realistically, dismantling it completely is the only option. Unfortunately, with the Dream Bird in its current condition, the Floating Island won't stay afloat for very long.”
I finished the rest of my beer.
The game followed a similar situation. In the game, the mana was supplied using the horns collected from hunting the monsters inside the Floating Island.
“What about the horns?”
“That is an option, but I believe it would be difficult. I visited the Administrator this morning, and it turned out they had far less stored mana than I expected.”
“Hm? Really?”
“Indeed. It was barely ten percent of what I had estimated. That's why I came to see you. Do you happen to know of anything that could serve as an energy source?”
I stroked my chin for a moment as I thought.
An energy source...
The first thing that came to mind was Anaye's lightning.
When someone from the modern world thought of energy, electricity naturally came first. But that would require a continuous supply.
“What exactly are the requirements?”
“Something bright and pure would be preferable over something dark and ominous. If the magic possesses attributes such as purity or purification, the efficiency would be even higher.”
The moment he mentioned purification, something flashed through my mind.
“What if there were an item capable of purifying powerful poison across a radius of roughly two kilometers?”
“If such a catalyst exists, it would be ideal. I don't know how much energy it has stored, but given that range, it certainly wouldn't be insignificant.”
At Berrot's positive response, a fierce grin spread across my face.
Canis' eyes widened as if she had realized what I was thinking.
“Mr. Berrot.”
“Hm?”
“What kind of reward were you planning to offer?”
“Ah, I intended to give you items from my own collection. As many as you wanted. There are specialty products that can only be found on the Floating Island. Besides, the Dream Bird owes you a great deal and has grown quite fond of you, so I'm willing to give you several things. Is there anything in particular that you want?”
My mouth watered at Berrot's offer.
“First, two Last Strike Scrolls. Fifty Stern Mandrake Seeds. And I'd like you to build one Anaye Order temple on a good plot of land on the Floating Island.”
I intended to turn the Floating Island into the Religious Order's base—a fortress floating high in the sky that was difficult to attack and constantly produced valuable specialty goods.
Berrot looked flustered by my request.
He couldn't quite process the sudden demand to build a temple.
“A temple...”
He couldn't answer immediately.
A temple wasn't exactly an easy structure to build.
“Building it is one thing, but—”
“I'll cover the construction costs.”
I wanted to reassure the hesitant Berrot.
When I offered to pay for the construction expenses, he nodded.
“Then I'd certainly be grateful. Though the people living here don't worship any gods. I wonder if that's truly alright.”
“Ah, that's perfectly fine.”
I wasn't planning to convert the handful of ordinary residents.
I simply wanted a temple that I could use whenever necessary, and beyond that, the Religious Order needed a proper home.
“Then I leave it in your hands.”
“I'll begin construction as soon as the funds arrive.”
After hearing Berrot's reply, I stood up.
“Winter. Open a door to the chapel.”
“Ah, yes!”
At my command, Winter immediately jumped to her feet.
The flag she always kept hidden against her body slithered out like a snake.
She swung it through the air.
The space split apart in the shape of an X, slowly tearing open until the familiar sight of the chapel appeared.
“How truly extraordinary.”
Berrot stared at Winter in astonishment.
Considering that the frail-looking young girl had just opened a portal, his reaction was only natural.
“N-No, it's nothing.”
Embarrassed by Berrot's attention, Winter waved her hands awkwardly.
Watching her, I couldn't help but chuckle.
After entering the chapel and breathing in its familiar scent, I walked to one corner.
There, I carefully retrieved something that had been respectfully wrapped in cloth.
“Is this the item?”
Berrot asked, pointing at the wrapped bundle resting on the table.
“Yes.”
I answered briefly as I unwrapped it.
Inside lay the greatsword that had played a crucial role in purifying the poisonous mist of the Poison Swamp.
Though it still remained pitifully broken, it was far from being an ordinary object.
“May I examine it?”
“Of course.”
At my approval, Berrot took a circular magnifying glass from his robe and examined the greatsword.
Several strange devices emerged one after another as he performed tests completely beyond our understanding.
“Um... Senior.”
“Hm?”
“...It's a Holy Relic. Is this really alright? I'm worried that Lady Anaye might become angry.”
Winter, who had been fidgeting ever since seeing the greatsword, finally couldn't hold herself back and quietly approached me.
Although she whispered, there wasn't a single person present who couldn't hear her.
“A Holy Relic?”
“Eh? Ah?”
“This broken greatsword is truly a Holy Relic? One officially recognized by the Lofty Order?”
Berrot reacted with surprising intensity, making Winter visibly uncomfortable.
I stepped forward, placing myself between Berrot and Winter.
“It is a Holy Relic officially recognized by the Lofty Order. In other words, it's genuine.”
“If it's not too rude to ask... which god do you worship?”
“Anaye, the Thunder Deer.”
Anaye... Anaye...
Berrot repeatedly murmured the name as he fell deep into thought.
His strange behavior made Winter shudder.
“The god you worship mainly uses... no, rather, what does your god symbolize?”
“Lightning and deer.”
The moment I answered, Berrot beamed.
The innocent smile of an old homeless man was honestly difficult to look at, but I barely managed to ignore it.
“A Holy Relic certainly has potential. Of course, I'll have to conduct a proper magical examination to be certain, but if my calculations are correct, it has more than enough potential.”
“That's good to hear.”
“But isn't it a Holy Relic? I wonder whether it's truly acceptable to use such an object here. Couldn't the god you worship become angered?”
Berrot's concern was entirely reasonable.
Who knew whether a god might suddenly lose their temper after willingly lending something?
I quietly took out the Holy Scripture of the Anaye Faith.
The moment it appeared, Berrot's jaw dropped open.
He looked even more shocked than when Winter had opened the portal.
“Lady Anaye. Honestly, what could we possibly do with a broken greatsword? Besides, we're not giving it away permanently. It'll simply be put to good use. On top of that, they're even going to build a temple for The Goddess. Would that be alright?”
Berrot stared blankly as I carefully asked the Holy Scripture.
Fortunately, it showed no reaction.
If it had been displeased, it would have smacked me over the head.
“She has granted permission.”
“Haha.”
Berrot laughed heartily.
He took a moment to gather his thoughts.
“Very well. I'll treat it with the utmost care.”
Berrot stood up and carefully wrapped the greatsword back in the cloth.
He handled it as reverently as if it were a sacred treasure.
“I'll be looking forward to the good news.”
I escorted Berrot out with a fierce grin.
***
Two days passed after Berrot's visit.
During that time, Berrot, who had previously served as the Floating Island's chief researcher, became its Administrator.
Using his own possessions as rewards, Berrot asked both the students and the Imperial Knight Order to hunt the monsters on the Floating Island.
Naturally, the condition was that they hand over the horns.
I wasn't sitting around doing nothing either.
I sent the other members of the Religious Order out hunting, while I headed into the forest with Soloven Rahorakti.
“Is this the place?”
“If my memory serves me correctly, it should be around here.”
The reason the two of us ventured deep into the forest alone was to hunt the field boss that Soloven had ultimately been forced to flee from.
The creature known as the Grassland Horn Whale.
Soloven carried her shield and sword, while I brought the club fashioned from the horn of a Hellhorn Bull for the first time in a while.
“It was roughly ten meters long. Half of its body was submerged in the swamp, so I couldn't see it clearly. Its color resembled dark storm clouds.”
“And?”
“It had an enormous horn on its forehead. It was as thick as a person's thigh. It also resembled a whale. At first I thought the hard object was a snake, but it turned out to be nothing more than its hide.”
I already knew all of that, but I listened in silence.
Soloven wanted to tell me everything she had seen and experienced.
I gave vague responses while mentally reviewing how to defeat it.
Despite the absurd concept of a whale living in a swamp, it wasn't actually a particularly difficult opponent.
“Well, if its insides melt, it'll die.”
The reason Soloven had given up was because she had needed to protect Winter, and the matchup wasn't favorable for her.
Her offense and defense were well-balanced.
However, the larger her opponent became, the more she had to focus on defense instead of offense.
Since her attacks mainly relied on counterattacks after blocking, that tendency became even stronger.
For a shield warrior like her, dealing with a field boss that charged forward with sheer brute force was an incredibly time-consuming task.
“The swamp. It'll appear soon.”
As we pushed through the forest, the smell of damp earth reached my nose.
More precisely, it was the distinct scent of stagnant water mixed with wet soil.
Before long, we came upon a vast swamp.
“Just block it once.”
After saying that, I sent Soloven to the front.
She probably wanted some grand revenge match, but unfortunately for her, that wasn't happening.
I had no intention of making things unnecessarily difficult.
-GROOOOAR!
It was astonishingly fast for something so massive.
As we slowly approached the swamp, something suddenly burst out from within.
Seeing the horn charging toward us with terrifying momentum, Soloven raised her shield.
The horn slid across the slightly angled shield instead of striking it directly.
“Grrr!”
A shower of sparks erupted as the horn scraped across the shield.
The impact alone was tremendous.
I braced Soloven from behind, making sure she wouldn't be blown away.
Behind the horn came the rest of the creature's body.
Using the momentum of its charge, it thrust its horn.
After failing to slip past Soloven's defense, it simply opened its jaws wide and lunged at us.
With its mouth fully opened, it stretched nearly three meters.
I immediately threw a bulging pouch straight into its mouth.
“Block!”
At my signal, Soloven shoved the horn away with all her strength.
She swung her shield perpendicular to the direction the beast was charging—toward our left, which was directly above its head from its perspective.
The horn, which had been scraping across the shield with overwhelming force, was knocked aside.
As the horn rose, its head naturally lifted as well.
I swung my club with all my might at what appeared to be its lower jaw.
-Boom!
The force of the blow created a visible shockwave.
Only then did the beast finally stop.
“Raise your shield!”
Just as Soloven was about to follow up with another attack, she hastily raised her shield at my sudden command.
I quickly hid behind her and snapped my fingers.
-Snap.
A crisp sound echoed through the air.
The field boss's body exploded.
The Candela I had packed inside the pouch detonated all at once, tearing it apart from the inside.
Fortunately, thanks to its tough hide, we weren't showered in gore.
“...This isn't right.”
“Hm?”
Just in case something else exploded, I remained behind Soloven.
After confirming there wasn't any further danger, I casually poked the creature, which was exhaling white steam from its mouth.
Behind me, I heard Soloven mutter hollowly.
When I turned around, she looked utterly miserable.
“Hey, hey. Why are you sulking over something like this again?”
“...My revenge.”
I walked over to the dejected Soloven and patted her shoulder.
Where had that straight-as-bamboo personality gone?
She must have hated having to retreat that much.
She had clearly resolved to take proper revenge, only for me to defeat it far too easily.
“This hide should be pretty useful, shouldn't it?”
“It certainly seems that way.”
The moment I changed the topic to the spoils, Soloven immediately perked up.
She hurried over and began examining the hide with such reverence that it almost looked sacred.
Seeing that, I chuckled.
“You can have all the hide. Just give me the horn.”
“...Really?”
“Yeah.”
“A warrior does not speak twice with one mouth.”
She kept asking for confirmation, so I simply nodded instead of answering every time.
“Come to think of it, I haven't seen the professors.”
“The professors are staying behind to guard the academy.”
The field boss was so enormous that dismantling it took a long time.
It took even longer because we wanted to preserve the tough hide without damaging it.
As we chatted idly, we continued butchering the carcass.
“The classes are going to be brutal, aren't they?”
“Most likely. There was a two-week gap, so they'll probably speed through the curriculum to make up for it.”
I shuddered at Soloven's answer.
Most of the classes I attended were taught by Gorilla.
Just thinking about enduring that stubborn Gorilla's brutal lessons made me sigh already.
“Let's go.”
Even so, working while talking made the task pass quickly.
After gathering the materials, we left the forest.
“You head back first.”
“What about you?”
“I'll rest here for a bit before I go.”
“Understood. I'll inform the Religious Order in advance.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
I settled down beneath the enormous unidentified tree at the gathering place where we had first assembled during the horn hunt.
Watching Soloven leave, I leaned my head against the base of the tree.
The cool earth pressed against my back while a refreshing breeze ruffled my hair.
As I quietly closed my eyes, my body gradually relaxed.
“Yaaawn.”
I surrendered myself to the approaching drowsiness.
Just as my consciousness began drifting away, I sensed something strange.
“Agh!”
Something suddenly pounced on me.
Startled, I shoved it away with all my strength.
-Mwii~ Mwii~
The Dream Bird drifted gracefully through the air before flying right back at me.
Still bewildered, I caught it in my arms.
“What the...”
The Dream Bird's sudden appearance was surprising enough, but what startled me even more was the scenery around me.
The lush forest had vanished, replaced by the wall of a carefully crafted stone building with a quiet, elegant atmosphere.
“Ah, you little brat. How did you manage to invite me here?”
I let out a deep sigh.
It seemed I had been invited into the Dream Bird's dream.