Chapter 392

It had a strong earthy odor.
The darkened chamber was filled with glowing mana.
Filtration facilities, which can be accessed through the palm openings of the roots, have always been unpleasant.
“I’m sick of this shit, the north is no place to live.”
“Me, too–eh, I’m cold.”
Letancier shuddered.
The cold northern basement was not much different from the outside.
With the cell tower destroyed, we were in the final phase of root destruction: identifying survivors.
No, more like a filter.
“Ha ha—I hope they catch a sane one this time—.”
I muttered, stretching.
It was actually the most annoying thing to do.
Beneath the roots, there was a 30% chance of finding a living Nebula Clazier.
The odds of getting a good one were roughly 1-2%.
Most were beheaded after a brief interview because they were either incapable of cleansing themselves or showed no sign of remorse.
I was walking in the direction I felt the popularity.
“Oh my God, Fantasia!”
“Ma’am, you’re in for a surprise.”
Suddenly, Letancier jumped up.
She trotted off without a second glance at me.
A burly wearer was chained up in the middle of the room.
“Fantasia, alas, you’re alive!”
“Why are you here in Letancie—?”
A cracked voice escaped Weardier’s mouth.
The horns sprouting from the top of his head reminded me of the roots of a giant tree.
Letancier clamped his mouth shut.
“Are you kidding me, I can’t believe I’ve been stuck in this place—!”
The restraints on Weardier were unlike anything we’ve seen before.
The eye patch was made of thick steel, not cloth.
The chains that bound his limbs were thicker than Letancier’s waist.
“Mr. Ronan. Fantasia is one of the best warriors I know in three fingers, can we take her?”
“Well, it certainly looks useful.”
It’s a physical that makes sense.
The violently bulging muscles seemed to embody strength.
More like construction equipment than creatures.
I could arm-wrestle a Zaifa inspiration, let alone Varen.
“Okay, let’s set up an interview.”
I’ve heard of it in the original world.
I thought Jaipa and Schlieffen must have gotten it together.
A light swing of the sword shattered the eye patch.
Fantasia narrowed her eyes at me.
“What the hell–is that a pontoon?”
“I’m afraid not, but there’s a resemblance.”
“——Okay, I was mistaken.”
He had mistaken me for Abel.
It happens six times out of ten, so I’m not surprised.
He’s your uncle, what can you do.
I wish I had a different hair color.
I tapped the hilt of my sword and asked him a question.
“Hey, Deer. What’s the first thing you want to do when you get out?”
“Plural.”
“To whom?”
“To the unfaithful priests and invaders. I have nothing more to lose.”
Fantasia replied in a calm voice.
Even after nearly a decade in the dumpster, the attitude never wavered.
Yeah, fuck, now there’s an archbishop.
I asked back, pointing the tip of my sword at his throat.
“Do you admit you’re an asshole who sold out the world?”
“I admit it.”
“Okay. Pass.”
I liked the instant answer.
The blade is back in place after disappearing for a moment.
The chains binding his body shattered.
Fantasia pushed herself to her feet, not showing any sign of exhaustion.
Compared to Letancier, who was bouncing around like a newborn antelope.
“I’m surprised you didn’t jump on me, I thought you’d be all over me because of my dirty impression.”
“You’re not so unprovoked as to harm the person who set you free.”
“Ugh.”
Letancier winced.
He had a history of betrayal upon release, so he had reason to feel guilty.
I held out the spare longsword at my waist to Fantasia.
The blade was red from my blood.
Accepting the sword, he asked.
“What can I do?”
“Let’s see what you got. There’s a bald guy out there, and he’s got a big head—”
Before I could finish my sentence.
Fantasion has taken off.
Zig-zagging along the walls of the vertical passage, he leaped up and was out of the hole in the blink of an eye.
Letancier froze.
“Eh?”
It happened so fast that it didn’t feel real.
I put my hand on her shoulder and smiled.
“If you ran away, you’re jointly and severally liable.”
“Hee hee! Far, Fantasia!”
Le Tansier, regaining his senses, recited the incantation.
We soared through the air faster than ever before.
Seconds later, a cold breeze hit me in the face.
A blizzard raged across the snowy landscape.
I could see Fantasia battling the giant.
“Stop resisting. Foolish one.”
The giant was flying through the air like a drunken butterfly.
With every flap of its wings, a gust of wind was blowing.
Fantasia clung like a cicada to the leg of such a giant.
The wind was tearing at his flesh, but he didn’t even flinch, thrusting his sword through it.
“Die!”
“Kwink—!”
Blue blood splashed every time the sword sliced into his thigh.
It’s supposed to be a two-handed sword, but the way he was holding it, it looked like a kid’s dagger.
Sooner or later, the giant, unable to overcome the pain, crashed.
Fantasion didn’t miss the opportunity.
Dodging a spear of light, he lunged and drove his blade into the giant’s throat.
“Wow.”
It was a neat wrap-up.
Though the blood ooze had given him the weapon Valin, it was a remarkable feat to take down the giant single-handedly.
Letancier was confident in his recommendation for a reason.
“Muiui profit-!!!”
Fantasia roared in victory.
The raspy voice was clearly audible even in a blizzard.
Letancier, hands on his hips, snarled.
“Eh, heh, heh, heh,” I said, “he’s a real warrior. He’s going to be a great help.”
“Shut up, man. You’re not getting any fatter.”
“Yuck!”
A punch to the head from Le Tansier.
I needed to beat him up periodically to keep him from reverting to his villainous ways.
“I need you to teach me how to fit in. It’s a villainous motive.”
“It hurts… Yes, I’ll do it…!”
Letancier nodded quickly.
I turned away with a satisfied smile.
Regardless, it was hard to deny that the Fantasion would be a huge force for the Resistance.
There didn’t seem to be any roots or cracks around it anymore.
It was about to regain its original color.
Just as I was about to take a step, a huge shadow fell over my head.
[Was here].
“What the hell, what brought you here?”
He looked up, puzzled.
Orse looked down at me.
Four saccharine wings flapped slowly.
【Navardoze is looking for you. For your information, I came because I wanted to, not because I was ordered to.】
“What? All of a sudden?”
【Yes. He said something I didn’t understand.
I wondered what had suddenly happened.
This neighborhood is a perfect safe zone.
Orsay said, landing slowly.
[He told me to say, “I opened my eyes.”].
“——!!!”
****
I soon arrived at the headquarters compound.
The new headquarters was built near the Sea of Wraiths, the coldest place on the planet.
He left the management of Letancier and Fantasia to Orsay.
The fierce blizzard had finally subsided, revealing a clear blue sky.
“Mr. Ronan. Welcome.”
“Did everything go well? Wait, I don’t see Letancier.”
Resistance guards greeted me.
The people who used to wear leeches are now dressed down in leather coats.
This was thanks to resources left over from the new headquarters.
The logistical relief was as much a morale booster for the resistance as the restored color in the sky and sea.
“He’ll be right back, and he’ll be with a big stag, but don’t be alarmed, he’s on our side.”
“A deer?”
“Yes. He’s a former archbishop, I hear, and he’s quite good. Where’s the dragon mother–no, where’s Mr. Navarordze?”
“Oh, you must be in the hall, we just finished the ceremony.”
I thanked them and walked past the guards.
Soon after, a building shaped like a right triangle came into view.
It was the entrance to the underground headquarters.
The massive sliding doors were made of a special alloy.
“Ancient technology is great.”
It used to be managed by Elsia.
The buildings of an empire that once reached to the stars have survived even in a world ruled by giants.
I typed the password into the pad and the door opened.
As we descended the long staircase, we were greeted with a stellar view.
The Resistance was busy today, too.
Lights made of light-emitting diodes illuminated the futuristic hallway.
‘You never know.
I never thought I’d see the day when I could actually use it.
The new headquarters was making a significant contribution to the world’s recovery.
It was safer than Gran Cappadocia, but only because it was originally built to preserve plant seeds.
The dormant seeds had leapfrogged thousands of years and sprouted onto a star that was on its deathbed.
“Navardoze. I’m home.”
“Alas, thou art back.”
As I continued walking, I came to a place called the Hall.
In the center of the large room was a single rock.
As the guardsmen had said, Navarordze was here.
She approached me, often with strides, and hugged me.
“Come on in, it’s cold outside.”
“It was okay, my clothes were warm.”
“Come here.”
My frozen body thawed in an instant.
Once she was healthy, her temperature returned to the average for a Red Dragon.
I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the comforting sensation wash over me.
“It’s warm.
From that point on, Mr. Navarro was treating me as if I were his youngest son.
I’m not sure why.
I wondered if the maternal love that had wandered away after losing all my children had been centered on me.
In the early days, I avoided it because it was bitter and awkward, but now I’m glad I did.
If this behavior makes her feel safe, then that’s it.
“It’s all melted now. Is the ritual just over?”
“Yes. It’s full of life.”
Navarordze nodded as he hugged me.
I felt like a son, just stroking his hair with one hand.
My gaze was fixed on the rock behind her.
The stone, floating in the air, radiated a life energy that made his skin crawl.
Originally, it was Ceniel, sleeping beneath the islands.
“I’m so glad I made the move here. How did you know about this place?”
“It’s Elsia’s legacy.”
“You’re a good boy–you’re helping us to the end.”
Navarordze muttered.
Ceniel was now being archived here.
As her most important asset, she needed to be taken care of.
Twice a day, the Resistance performed a ritual to energize Seniel.
By feeding on everyone’s mana, Ceniel released far more life energy than if he had absorbed Navarordze’s power alone.
As the area of baldness shrank, Ceniel’s recovery accelerated.
As the recovery progressed, the life force spewed became stronger, which naturally affected the speed at which the star recovered.
It was a pleasant virtuous cycle.
Incense Crazy.
It was a pleasant virtuous cycle.
“It’s so close now. It’s only a matter of time before we get the other half back, and it’s all thanks to you, Ronan.”
“No problem, but I thought you said you were looking for me?”
“Oh, look at my mind. I forgot the most important thing.”
Navarro let me go.
I steamed up like I’d just stepped into a steam room.
Her face cleared, and she spoke.
“Follow me. He woke up while you were gone.”
“Ha. Finally.”
I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for this moment.
I followed her out of the hall.
We moved to the deepest part of the facility.
After turning dozens of corners and passing through various security devices, I finally reached my destination.
It was a place only a few in the resistance knew about.
The black-and-yellow striped gates were written in the ancient language of Dainhar.
“Let me open it.”
I calmly entered my password.
The doors opened left and right with the sound of wind being blown out.
In the center of the room, amidst all the machinery, was a giant glass tube.
“……!”
Inside the glass tube filled with a blue liquid was a stout man.
Snow-white hair.
The pumpkin glistens in the googly eyes.
I flicked my hair out of my face and waved at him.
“How are you, Abel?”