Chapter 628: Getting to the Main Topic
“If there’s no problem with the lantern, I’ll head out tomorrow if you’re free. I’ll make lunch for you, okay?”
“Picnic!?”
Dinoss.
“If it’s a picnic, shouldn’t we go somewhere with a nicer view?”
“That’s not what I meant!?”
What does that even mean? I’m left confused, my gaze wandering.
“It’s not a place you casually bring a lunch to,”
Retze explained as our eyes met.
“You’re bringing lunch to the Demon Forest, right?”
“At the shallow parts of the Demon Forest… You have a house there, don’t you?”
Haulon started to say with enthusiasm but then looked away midway.
“That place is nice; on cold days, the fireplace feels great, and it’s cool during the hot season. I really like it.”
It’s perfect for when I want to spend a quiet day reading.
Maybe it’s because the area is filled with Black Spirits or due to Yukihyo’s barrier, but it’s a calm place without spirits bustling in and out.
“You’ve been to Kokuzan too, haven’t you?”
Haulon said with a downcast expression.
There’s a hint of resignation in the air!
“There are many famous scenic spots and hidden gems in the Land of Ruin, but I don’t think it’s suitable for a vacation home,”
Chris said with a worried look.
Chris is from an island near the Land of Ruin, so he’s probably the most knowledgeable here after Haulon.
“I really don’t want to stay there for long.”
The Black Shadows gather like koi at a feeding pond.
“Good.”
“That’s a normal reaction…”
Haulon and Dinoss sighed in relief.
Isn’t that a bit harsh?
“Is the Land of Ruin really that amazing?”
Dean asked.
“Whether you can defeat the demon beasts in the Demon Forest or not, you can at least touch them, right? But the things in the Land of Ruin, you can’t touch them. You can touch the ones over there, though.”
Haulon shrugged.
“Ugh.”
Dean grimaced as he took a sip of his drink while listening to Haulon’s story.
“My parents used to threaten me a lot when I did something bad. They said that if a hand reaches out from the Land of Ruin, a black hand will take you away, and you’ll become a Black Shadow, wandering for eternity.”
Chris seemed to reminisce about the past, gazing off into the distance. It’s hard to imagine Chris doing anything bad; he seems like the type to take classes seriously.
“Yeah, you can’t die there. In the Demon Forest, you can enter and exit the shallow areas while keeping an eye out for danger. In Kokuzan, reckless adventurers dive in for treasure and to prove their bravery. But the Land of Ruin is different. Even those who don’t value their lives won’t approach it.”
Haulon explained.
“I don’t want to become one of the Black Shadows.”
Dinoss said, bringing food to his mouth.
“And that’s where this ghost repellent comes in.”
This lantern right here.
“I think the magic circle for the ghost repellent is fine since I asked Grandfather Paorul to help me make it, but if you have any suggestions for improvements, please let me know.”
This is the main topic for today, so I appreciate your input.
“Are you really going?”
Dinoss asked, half-heartedly gazing off into the distance.
“Wait. Paorul? It’s a common name, but could it be the one from the Temple of Anoma—?”
“He said he used to be a priest.”
He’s the grandfather who served a spirit that’s definitely different from the Spirit of Light, Namina.
I met Dinoss on the southern side of the mountains and ran into him again on the northern side, but Grandfather Paorul was originally from the north and I met him in the south. It feels quite profound.
Speaking of which, I wonder how Chris’s brother is doing? Has he already obtained the drop from the Fire Temple? I took it without thinking too deeply. I hope his second attempt was successful.
“Ugh, ugh, ugh. The one who moves unseen spirits, the one who writes out invisible spirits… Saint Paorul.”
“Is he really that famous?”
He seems to have a lot of titles!
“Unlike me, he doesn’t show his face everywhere, so his general recognition isn’t that high, but he’s very famous!”
Famous but not well-known. I guess he’s renowned in his specialized field? If Haulon is the type of scholar who goes out in the field, then Grandfather Paorul seems more like the reclusive type, buried in research.
“You look like you’re struggling to understand.”
Hey, Retze, please stop stretching my cheek while holding a drink! The way you’re handling my cheek is so rough…!
“His magic circles are intricate yet efficient. I’ve seen a few of Saint Paorul’s magic circles, and they’re becoming even more refined.”
Haulon seemed to enter research mode, tracing the lantern with his fingertips while mumbling to himself.
“The eastern Demon Forest, the northern Kokuzan, the southern Dragon Hunting Grounds— and the western Land of Ruin, that completes the set…”
The butler murmured, gazing off into the distance.