"Haa, anyway, I never thought a day like today would come. Maybe now I can start living a slightly different life."
Even though his wounds hadn't completely healed, it was clear that he had come out of his shell. What remained was to carve out a life by vividly experiencing the pain of the past.
"What are you going to do next? I heard you have a pursuer," Freeman said.
"We are leaving. We started as mercenaries, so we should live like mercenaries. Our men would want that too. Of course, in this country, we've been ludicrously labeled as a bandit group."
Marsha's eyes darkened with sadness. Mercenaries are beings that fight. She was always ready to face death, which is why she could bury the death of her comrades in her heart and still smile.
She had never fought for a great cause or superficial justice. But she was always proud and never shied away from a challenge.
Marsha wanted to at least give them the honor of being variant warriors. She thought they shouldn't be buried with the label of bandits.
Tess, who understood Marsha's feelings, offered words of comfort.
"In fact, there's only a slight difference between a bandit and a mercenary. In a sense, knights and mercenaries are also a small difference. They are beings who fight and perish for their beliefs. The politically sacrificed side might be evil, but I believe the tide can change someday."
Rian also had similar thoughts. He didn't know about Shirone or Amy, who were scholars, but if one dreamt of becoming a knight, it was something one had to prepare for.
"Our family faced threats once too. We chose to remain neutral. Now that I think about it, your father must have gone through tough times too, Tess."
"Yeah, well. My father is a hero here, but in the colonies, they treat him as an invader. In the end, that's what he is. That's politics."
Marsha smiled. She knew Rian and Tess were deliberately sharing these stories for her sake.
She is still skeptical of the world, but she has now come to believe in the existence of sincere people.
"They are kind-hearted children. They really are Shirone's friends."
Marsha fell with her chin on the table like a lazy cat. Enthralled by her long-awaited peace, she raised her index finger and pointed at Shirone.
"But what about you? What do you plan to do next? Are you just going sightseeing?"
"Ah, we're going to the Ruins of Kerugo."
"Kerugo? What are you guys doing there?"
"Well actually…"
Shirone explained the reason for their arrival on the island. Marsha, who had been listening intently, nodded in surprise.
"Wow, there was such a secret in the ruins. I didn't know that since I was off the island. Freeman, did you know?"
"To some extent. I heard stories from the locals."
"Hmm, I see. So, do you want to enter the Kerugo Autonomous Region?"
"Yes. However, the difficulty level of the Achievement and Sacrifice Hall is so high that I don't know if we'll be able to pass."
"If you can't get in, then it's just not possible?"
"Maybe so. I have something in mind, but I'm not sure."
Freeman, who listened up to this point, spoke.
"If that's the case, we can help."
"Really? The Achievement and Sacrifice Hall?"
"No, you can enter the autonomous community even if you don't necessarily pass through there. I think Falkoa exchanged Loop with them. Show them our Organization Freeman pass, and they'll let you in. Anyway, he was quite adept at such matters."
Shirone and the others had blank expressions. This was the first time they had heard of the possibility of entering the natives' autonomous region without taking the test.
Amy asked, tilting her head.
"If that's the case, won't the passage be different? If there are two routes from the start, there's no need to create a test entrance, right?"
"I'm not sure about that. But what's clear is that both routes lead to the same place. This is a fact confirmed by those who have entered through the test gate."
Hearing this, Shirone also felt puzzled. He had hoped that at least if one passed the test gate, they would be sent to another area.
"The same place, but one route requires passing a test. Why do they do that?" Tess said.
"It's hard to know. Perhaps it's a tradition. Ancient cultures often retain that kind of thing. Another assumption might be to avoid suspicions from people."
"How would that help?"
"It would give the impression that there's nothing special in the autonomous region. Indeed, after hearing the story, our expectations about the Achievement and Sacrifice Hall have decreased, haven't they?"
Freeman concluded.
"Anyway, it would be a good idea to check it out yourselves. If needed, we'll get you a pass. It can be done right away."
"Thank you, we appreciate it."
Shirone decided to accept it for now. They hadn't yet decided which route to use, but having more ways to approach the autonomous region was better.
After calling his subordinates and instructing them to issue passes, Freeman turned to Shirone's group.
"Entering won't be a problem, but you'll need someone who speaks the native language. None of our men can do it."
"What? Then how did Falkoa make the deal?"
"Since he arrived on the island, Falkoa established his own forces independently. Strictly speaking, the original mercenary group didn't associate with him. Of course, now that Falkoa is dead, his private organization must have disintegrated, but back then, he often mixed with the local smugglers. Apparently, one of them knew the language."
"Well, then we also need to find an interpreter."
Yuna timidly raised her hand.
"Um, I'm not sure if I should say this but…"
"Hm? It's okay. You can say whatever you want."
"In fact, my brother can speak a little Kerugo."
Amy showed interest.
"Oh, is it Jiss? How did he learn?"
"Since he was young, my brother has worked many jobs to take care of me. Before becoming a porter at the port, he did some part-time tourist work. I think he learned it then."
Freeman commented.
"Good. Then let's ask Jiss for a favor. We would like to help, but it's dangerous for us to stay on the island now that Marsha has returned. The Magic Association is still after us."
Shirone also readily nodded his head. He didn't want to burden Marsha further, especially because they were being pursued on a national scale.
With the discussion concluded, Shirone's group left the building before sunset.
Marsha provided them with bracelets capable of spatial teleportation.
The method of use was simple. Since the bracelet itself had a Spiritual Zone, it worked like casting a spell: one just had to think of the coordinates.
Shirone looked at the bracelet Marsha had given him.
People used it without much thought, but integrating magical artifacts and magical circles was an incredibly innovative concept.
It was a technique impossible without connecting two separate Spiritual Zones in different spaces.
This could be seen as the external view of the "place" that Marsha had shown them.
From inside the 'place,' one would only see a hole in space, but from the outside, there would be two 'places': an entrance and an exit.
"It's like a glimpse of space and time. Perhaps this world is already in the midst of a gigantic secret."
At first, Shirone thought it was a special event that had happened to him. But he realized that Miro was a disciple of Alpeas.
As he delved deeper, he discovered that she was related to the Kerugo Ruins.
Furthermore, space-time magic was still being incorporated into magical artifacts somewhere and was spreading throughout the world.
Shirone felt a sudden fear. Perhaps, as the director said, he was trying to find something he should never know.
While Shirone was lost in his thoughts, Marsha approached him and gave him some final advice.
"There's a carriage waiting at the foot of the mountain. We might meet again before you leave, but be careful anyway. And when you come back, make sure to see a recovery mage for treatment."
"Alright. Thank you for your concern."
"Hoho! What are you talking about between us?"
Marsha covered her mouth and playfully hit Shirone's arm. She might not need to hide anymore, but she wasn't very different from when they first met. Perhaps she had always lived showing herself behind the shield of lies.
"I'm leaving. If we don't see each other on the island, contact me at the magic academy."
"Don't worry. Claire Marsha can always find you, anytime and anywhere."
Marsha rolled up her sleeves and spoke confidently. As expected, she was someone who knew how to make someone's heart feel at ease.
Freeman was helping by her side. One part of him is treated with too much superiority to be considered their friend, but in a way, Shirone thought this structure suited him.
When Shirone entered the forest, Marsha, who had been standing there for a long time, asked a question.
"Kerugo Ruins, huh. Will they be alright?"
"Maybe... It won't be fine."
Marsha frowned and looked at Freeman. But, as always, Freeman calmly said what he had to.
"But they'll overcome it. Because they are strong kids."
Marsha looked up at the sky with a bittersweet smile. The noise of spatial movement created in the forest split the sky.
***
When Shirone and his group returned to the village in the carriage, it was already nighttime.
Jiss, walking through the hall with a sore body, turned around as soon as the door opened.
"Ah…"
Tears welled up in Jiss's eyes. His younger sister, Yuna, entered the villa safely and unharmed.
"Brother!"
"Yuna!"
Jiss, tears streaming down his face, embraced Yuna. The siblings hugged each other, crying profusely.
It had been a tremendously difficult trial for them. Even Shirone, who was unbeatable when it came to mental strength, had moments when he wanted to kneel, facing such formidable enemies.
He could feel once again how defenseless and frustrated Jiss and Yuna were after being hurt by those people.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?"
"Hng. I'm fine. The brothers and sisters saved me. But what happened to you? Why are you bandaged like that? How badly are you injured?"
"I'm okay. As long as you're back, nothing hurts."
Indeed, Jiss found it hard to even walk. But he couldn't show it to Yuna. The fear she must have felt would have been much greater than any physical pain he endured.
Jiss looked at Shirone and the others with emotion-filled eyes. He bowed deeply, overflowing with gratitude.
"Thank you! Thank you so much! I will never forget this favor."
Tess patted Jiss on the shoulder as if it were nothing. With what she had learned from Freeman, showing off could wait for another time.
"Hoho! You can forget about this as much as you want. Just remember what I said when we departed. If you're truly grateful, you'll show it through your actions, right?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Jiss blinked, not understanding what Tess meant. Not only Shirone and the others, but even Yuna looked at him with a smile.
***
After putting the exhausted Yuna to bed, Jiss left the room and returned to the table. Taking a sip of the herbal tea he had prepared, he resumed the conversation where it had left off.
"So you're planning to enter the autonomous district through the Ruins of Kerugo, right? And that's why you need an interpreter."
"Yes. Yuna mentioned that you might be able to do it? We're just wondering how competent you are."
"If it's just casual conversation, no problem. I should be able to guide you. But entering the native autonomous district… that's…"
Jiss made a subtle expression and stroked his chin.
"What's wrong? You seem worried. Is there something bothering you?"
"No, it's nothing. I'll gladly guide you. I'm not sure what you're going there for, but that place is special. It's not a secret, but it's a zone strictly controlled by the Galliant Government to enter. Are you sure it's okay to go there?"