The Silent One ⑥
It was a black, square plate.
A red line ran horizontally across it. That was all.
“It was in a hidden room, but it’s a dud, huh?”
“Never seen a plate like that before.”
“…”
A dud? No.
With [Wheel of Fortune], this black plate was clearly emitting a blue light.
The same blue light as that infinite-spawning Elixir Egg.
It’s Super Ultra Rare.
It felt cold and soft to the touch.
“!?”
Just then, words appeared in my mind.
Strong, just like with Relics.
[Relic Plate: Using this plate grants the user one Relic without exception. The Relic Plate is consumed upon use.]
I-Is this… real?
No, it’s real. I know. Somehow, I know.
I understand with certainty.
What an item… Why now, of all times?
Why would something like this— I involuntarily collapsed to my knees.
“Hey. Are you okay?”
“Woff. What’s wrong?”
“…Ax-san. There’s something important I need to discuss.”
“What’s this all of a sudden?”
I stood up and looked at him with a serious gaze.
This is a turning point. Not for me. For Ax-san… It’s his destiny.
“I’m giving this to you.”
I held out the Relic Plate.
“Huh? No, that’s yours, isn’t it?”
“That’s why. This… this Relic Plate is Ax-san’s turning point.”
“Turning…?”
“Relic Plate?”
“A turning point. A crossroads in life. A choice.”
“Woff. What are you talking about?”
“Hey. What is that? A Legacy?”
“…It’s a Legendary. However, it can only be used once.”
“Huh? Legendary!? You. Do you even understand what you’re saying?”
Mineha-san’s words grew sharp.
I stated clearly.
“Yes. This is called a Relic Plate. It can grant one Relic to the person who uses it. Afterward, the plate disappears.”
“……Huh… Whaaat?”
“Woff. Even I can’t laugh at a joke like that.”
“It’s not a joke.”
My expression remained completely serious.
“There’s no way a Legendary like that exists!”
Mineha-san yelled. Flustered and angry.
Relics are precious to her, so her reaction was understandable.
I calmly offered the Relic Plate to Ax-san.
“You’ll understand if you touch it.”
“…Woff.”
“Please, touch it.”
“…”
Ax-san hesitantly touched it.
And he understood. His expression showed it.
Mineha-san also touched it, looking annoyed. Her expression froze.
“S-Something like this… really exists…?”
“I understand… But why are you trying to give it to me?”
“Before that… Mineha-san.”
This is it. The critical moment.
“……………What? I won’t accept something like this.”
Mineha-san’s reaction was one of disgust.
Still, I asked without fear.
“Ten years ago. What happened?”
“Eh… You…”
“Ten years ago? What do you mean?”
“You. H-How do you…”
Mineha-san is flustered.
I’ve already started. I can’t stop now.
“Ten years ago. Ax-san, you were kidnapped. Isn’t that right?”
“Y-Yeah… But what does that have to do with anything?”
“When you were kidnapped, another Seeker, not your mother, rescued you. Your mother was away on a request. She returned a month later. Right?”
“Yeah, that’s right. So what about it?”
Ax-san gradually grew irritated. That was understandable.
But it’s very important.
“I feel like that incident and Mineha-san’s ten years ago… aren’t unrelated.”
“Mineha’s ten years ago? She wasn’t even born ten years ago, right?”
Ax-san looked at Mineha-san.
Mineha-san nodded slightly. She spoke as if resigned.
“…Ax. Do you know about the request that Master—your mother—accepted ten years ago?”
“How would I know? Mom never told me anything. She just kept insisting it was her fault.”
“That request. It has something to do with me.”
“Huh? With you?”
“Yes, ten years ago. My mother, who was pregnant with me, was on the verge of death. If things continued, both mother and child would lose their lives. It was that dangerous a situation.”
“Wh… !?”
“…”
Ax-san was stunned.
I remained silent.
“Mother was cursed. We tried every method. Relics, secret medicines, Legacies, Legendaries, everything was tried. Except for just one thing.”
“…”
“…”
“There was only one way to save her. It involved a certain Legendary. You both know about Elixirs, right?”
“Y-Yeah.”
“Yes.”
My heart skipped a beat. I was so surprised I thought it might stop. To think it would come up here.
“On the summit of a certain frigid mountain, there’s a temple that has long since fallen into ruin. Deep within that temple, a Sacred Egg containing an Elixir is enshrined. That was the legend. But obtaining it was impossible for anyone in the village. As far as we knew, only Master, who was partnered with a Tier I Seeker at the time and said to be the closest to becoming Tier I herself, could do it. That mountain, besides its extreme cold, was the domain of ferocious and powerful Monsters. On top of that, the temple was a Dungeon. And it was a race against time. A most difficult request within a limited time, where both mother and child could die at any moment. Master managed to obtain it. However, it was in exchange for being bedridden for nearly a month.”
Mineha-san smiled faintly.
Ax-san was trembling.
Inwardly, I felt awe. A Sacred Egg, huh.
“…S-So that’s the truth… That’s why Mom couldn’t save me, why it took her nearly a month to come back… That’s…”
Ax-san groaned lowly.
Mineha-san said quietly.
“That’s right. My mother’s life and mine were on the line. That’s why she couldn’t save you. Don’t resent Master. Resent me.”
“Resent you…?”
Ax-san wore a complex expression at Mineha-san’s words.
“So please forgive Master, your mother.”
Mineha-san squeezed the words out.
“……………………………………..”
Ax-san fell silent. Mineha-san waited.
Eventually, Ax-san began to speak.
“…Mom just kept saying it was her fault and didn’t explain anything. I knew she was seriously injured. But I convinced myself that the request was more important than me, that she prioritized the request because I didn’t have a Relic. I thought that if I was truly important to her, she would have dropped the request and rushed to my side. That’s what I thought. That’s what I wanted her to do. I believed it. I wanted proof, more than anything, that I was her precious son…”
Whether she loved him as her son even without a Relic. The one who couldn’t believe that more than anyone was Ax-san himself.
“You couldn’t believe it yourself?”
“Not at all. I never once considered that the request might have been a matter of life and death.”
Ax-san groaned lowly.
Mineha-san slowly shook her head.
“It’s only natural you didn’t understand since she didn’t tell you. Besides, she couldn’t talk about this request. Because it involved the confidential matter of an Elixir.”
“Confidential matter?”
I tilted my head at the unfamiliar term.
Mineha-san sighed at me.
“Honestly. You should at least know this much. Relics that could shake a nation. OOPArts. Legendaries… Anything involving them is classified information.”
“I-Is that so…”
Inwardly, I felt a chill.
I don’t have any OOPArts, but I do possess Relics and Legendaries that fall into that category.
I had anticipated and thought that they could potentially cause wars.
But having someone else emphasize their importance made it feel more real and frightening.
Ax-san asked anxiously.
“Is it okay to talk about that?”
“An investigation team has already been dispatched, and it’s been confirmed that there are no more Elixirs in the temple.”
So that means the Elixir Sacred Eggs in the temple are all gone.
“I see—”
Ax-san turned to face Mineha-san directly.
“I’m sorry. It was my fault. Mineha.”
Ax-san bowed his head deeply in apology.
Mineha-san was flustered.
“Wh-What are you saying? Why are you—”
“You have absolutely no reason to apologize. I pushed Mom away because of my own assumptions. Now that I’m a Seeker too, I understand. Even if it wasn’t classified, Mom probably wouldn’t have mentioned a request involving a friend’s life as an excuse. If I were in the same situation, I would have done the same thing as Mom. Mom did nothing wrong. Mom—Mother is a great Seeker.”
“Ax-san.”
“You. I heard you were going to cut ties with Master.”
“I don’t feel that way anymore. It’s late now, but once this request is over, I want to have a long talk with Mom. And I want to apologize. I want to tell her that she’s my pride.”
When Ax-san raised his face, his eyes were glistening with tears.
“Yes, talk to her, tell her. Master will be happy.”
Mineha-san shed tears. Ax-san cried too.
“…”
Good. It’s alright now.
I felt relieved.